A day after losing the battle with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in Parliament on the issue of allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has threatened to reject the Union government’s notification if it is voted to power in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
NDA’s claim has got the backing of former alliance partners of NDA, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and AIADMK. Senior AIADMK leader V Maitreyan, has already challenged the UPA by saying that by 2014, the party that will be in power, definitely not the Congress-led UPA, will reverse this decision that does not have the support of the majority of states.
“If the NDA is voted to power in the next general election in 2014, it will reject the current notification of allowing FDI in retail, and a policy will be made to upgrade and modernise the domestic trade of the country after holding due and proper consultations with all stakeholders of the retail trade of India,” said Sharad Yadav, convener of NDA. The union government defeated the motions on FDI in retail in Parliament which was brought by opposition parties led by BJP.
“We are a member of NDA and if such a decision is taken, we will support the withdrawal of allowing FDI in multi-brand retail,” said Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha and general secretary Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
This is not the first time that BJP-led NDA has talked about reversing the Union government’s decision on FDI in retail. During the national executive meeting of BJP in Surajkund in September this year, Ravi Shankar Prasad, deputy leader Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had similarly said BJP government would reverse the government’s decision on FDI in retail when it comes to power. However, the BJP leadership had soon retracted the statements made by Prasad.
“We do not want FDI in multi-brand retail and it should not be implemented. If NDA comes to power and withdraws the decision then it would be like correcting a mistake,” said Bhartruhari Mahtab of Biju Janata Dal (BJD).