Sheila Dikshit, Anand Sharma bat for FDI in retail

October 1, 2012 | National News | Written by

New Delhi, Oct 1: On a day the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee held a public rally to oppose Centre’s ‘anti-people’ reforms, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma on Monday addressed people here to explain the economic policies to the public.

An elated Dikshit informed mediapersons that Delhi would endorse the economic reforms and become the first state to embrace FDI.

“The situation of wastage of surplus good food grains would improve. If we save that much surplus food, the country would naturally move towards prosperity and prices will stabilise. The resolution will be handed over to the media later, but its gist is that we welcome FDI,” Dikshit said.

The state chief added that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would soon be addressing rallies across the country to give a clear picture of the policies.

“False rumours are being spread. If a state doesn’t want it (FDI), no one can force them to implement it. Nobody is being forced. Our leaders will explain these things to the public during the rally so that people are not misguided,” she added.

Speaking in the rally, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma slammed senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani and Communist Party of India (CPI) for campaigning against the government’s decision on retail reforms.

“We don’t mind if any party opposes it. We will not make the policies after consultations with L.K. Advani and Prakash Karat. It is the right of a democratically elected government to make policies and that is just what we have done,” Sharma said.

He criticised the BJP for suspecting that the Centre was formulating economic polices under the influence of foreign countries and offshore business houses.

“When the last government brought in organised retail by allowing the opening up of Mc Donalds and Pizza Hut, we did not have the audacity to pose irresponsible statements like the step was taken under the influence of a foreign country. The Indian National Congress and its government fully understand the country’s interests and neither do we need a certificate on the subject,” he added.

Last month, the TMC, a key coalition partner, withdrew its support from the ruling UPA coalition, objecting to the government’s decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail market of the country.

Despite the backlash, the government pressed ahead with more reforms, slashing a tax on overseas borrowing by Indian firms, implementing a scheme to encourage individuals to invest in the stock market, and relaxing minimum requirements for the country’s airlines to fly overseas. (ANI)