Left parties to oppose FDI in retail in Parliament

At a time when BJP and several other parties have also opposed FDI in retail, the Left leaders said they have appealed to all parties to support the motions in both Houses of Parliament.

"Though a decision of this nature is the right of the Executive, but any major decision, affecting a vast number of people, must reflect the opinion of Parliament. If not, then it is violative of parliamentary democracy," senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said after a meeting of parliamentary leaders of CPI, CPI(M), RSP and Forward Bloc.

The government should "rise above technicalities and go by the sense of the House. It (FDI) is a decision vital for the people. While four crore people are directly employed in retail trade, about 20 crore or one-fifth of India's population are dependent on it. FDI in retail would displace such a vast number of people," he said.

The leaders of Left parties would move notices under Rule 184 in Lok Sabha and Rule 168 in Rajya Sabha, both rules entailing voting after a debate.

Yechury said the Left parties have appealed to all parties to support the motion against FDI in multi-brand retail, saying many parties had earlier joined the Left in protests over the issue, including taking part in the nationwide strike in September.

Referring to the continuous disruption of proceedings in the last session, Yechury said, "We do not want a repeat of that situation. We do not want a situation where there is a match-fixing between the Congress and the BJP." (More)