'UPA trying to divert people's attention through reforms'

"BJP will undertake an intensified nation-wide campaign from October 11 till Nov 20, highlighting two issues -- corruption and government's decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail," BJP National Secretary Muralidhar Rao told reporters here.

The number of scandals in UPA I and II rule resulting in huge losses to the exchequer was unheard of in the past, he said.

"BJP is taking all these issues very seriously and it will be the central issue in the coming elections," he said.

"In order to divert the people's attention from scandals (it faced), they (UPA) started working on so-called reforms, thinking people will forget issue of complaints (against UPA) and announced FDI in (multi-brand) retail trade," he said.

Noting that retail chain in India is built on small farmers, traders and small manufacturers, he alleged that a multibrand retail giant like Walmart would not purchase products from farmers, but would dictate cost (to purchase its products) one year in advance through commodities trading."

"They (Walmart) are not going to purchase grains from farmers (directly). They will purchase by influencing commodity trading," he said.

He rejected the claims of the government and Commerce Minister (Anand Sharma) that allowing FDI in multi-brand retail would benefit farmers.

Observing that 65 per cent of retail trade is constituted by backward communities, he said there was no specific vendor policy or traders policy to help them.

"BJP will not accept this kind of reforms which are anti- people, anti-small traders and anti-small manufacturers. I call these reforms manufactured in USA and introduced in India," he alleged.

Stating that UPA allies, including Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK have rejected government's decision to allow FDI in multi brand retail, he asked, "From whose majority they have introduced this reform?"

"This political decision has no mandate," he said, adding, BJP views this as a complete division of consensus.

He said the nation-wide campaign would coincide with the beginning of the Winter session of Parliament.