"It is a baffling decision by the UPA government to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail and 49 per cent FDI in aviation," JD(U) national general secretary Shivanand Tiwari told PTI here.
"If the FDI in multi-brand retail sector is at all beneficial to farmers, then why does the US give subsidy to its farmers when there are giant retail companies like the Walmart to buy produce of farmers?" Tiwari asked.
Coming a day after steep hike in diesel price and restriction on consumption of number of subsidised LPG cylinders, the UPA government's decision to go ahead with FDI in multi-brand retail would hurt domestic companies, be it in retail sector or aviation, he said.
The domestic aviation companies were candidates for takeover by foreign investors following the Centre's decision to allow 49 per cent FDI in aviation sector, Tiwari said and lashed out at the Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya for supporting the government's decision while his own company was battling for survival.
The senior JD(U) leader criticised SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and asked the two allies of the UPA government to explain whether they were taken on board by the Centre before taking the decisions.
"The SP and TMC leaders must make public their stand on the Centre's decision on FDI and accordingly announce whether they were with the government or against it after its decision on diesel and FDI," the JD(U) leader said.