Left parties hold protest over easing of FDI norms

Attacking the Centre over easing of FDI norms in various sectors, including defence, Left parties today staged a protest, accusing the Narendra Modi dispensation of taking the "wrong" decision to safeguard the interests of developed countries instead of Indians.
The communist parties also hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not speaking up on the matter while "he did so on several other issues against the Central government" including that of full statehood for Delhi.
They raised strong objections to the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which allows militaries of India and the US to share each other's facilities, and expressed fears that Indian territory will be used by Washington to attack other countries, affecting New Delhi's ties with the nations concerned.

"It is a very, very wrong step...Modi can get full approval (for this) in Lok Sabha, but not from people who are going to be severely affected. Taken behind the back of Parliament, this decision is not in the interest of India, but developed countries and multinational companies," CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat told the protesters.
Karat noted Kejriwal has been raising concern over several issues, including that of statehood for Delhi, and said the Left parties back the demand.
However, Karat said Kejriwal's fight against the NDA government does not give him a "free licence" to not work on his promises to people about providing water, electricity and protecting rights of labourers.

"And when the real attack of FDI comes, Kejriwal's Twitter account doesn't speak a single word. Hence, Left parties will need to come forward for alternative policies," she said.

The former Parliamentarian apprehended that the easing of FDI norms will result in further price rise and shrinking employment opportunities.
She claimed the decision to relax foreign investment norms in animal husbandry, retail and private security industry sectors will affect livelihood of women, small retailers and security guards respectively.
"...This is not Make in India, but Break in India of RSS-BJP," she added.
Besides Karat, CPI national secretary Amarjeet Kaur addressed the protesters belonging to the city unit of various Left parties.

Apart from CPI(M) and CPI, workers of state units of Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, CPI(ML), Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) and Communist Ghadar Party of India took part in the protest.