Decision to allow FDI in retail taken under US pressure:CPI

"The permission for FDI in retail was given under pressure from Obama and the MNCs as they have influenced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Cabinet," CPI National Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told reporters at the Indore Press Club.

The CPI leader alleged, "It appears Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not answerable to the people of India but to the US, World Bank and International Monetary Fund."

The decision has threatened employment of nearly two crore people, Reddy claimed.

He also criticised the Centre for raising prices of diesel and limiting the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders and warned that "Congress-led UPA government will have to pay the price for these anti-people measures".

About threat given by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to the UPA over the issue, he said earlier also she had issued such warnings. He alleged "there is match-fixing between Mamata and UPA".

The CPI leader said his party will take part in the bandh on September 20 to protest the recent measures announced by the government.

Referring to talks of forming the 'Third Front', he said the Left parties were not ready for it yet. He said SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had already stated that it would come into existence after the 2014 general elections.