Only numbers matter in democracy, says Jaiswal

"Opposition is saying that we have used number force instead of moral force in securing victory on the floor, who should tell them that Parliament runs only on numbers and not on moral grounds," the Union Coal minister said on the sidelines of a book release function.

He was asked about Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj dubbing government's victory on FDI both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha as a "moral defeat". She had also accused the ruling dispensation of managing the numbers by using "CBI to pressurise political parties".

Those states which are opposing the FDI will be lining up to adopt it in future, the minister said.

When asked about the speculation about entering into an alliance with BSP, which had supported the government on FDI in multi-brand retail, in the 2014 general elections, Jaiswal said, "it is too early to jump to any such conclusion".

He said Mayawati's support for the government on the FDI issue should be seen as nothing more than a decision to do the right thing as she saw fit.

The minister, who was here to attend launch of a book by writer and educationists Mahe T Siddiqui, said that all those who knew the truth about FDI had ended up supporting it.

He added that it was not right for states, who did not want to introduce FDI in retail, to object to others' decision to do so.

Speaking at the occasion, Padmashree awardee Giriraj Kishore said, "earlier authors and poets were respected by the political leadership, but the situation has changed now, its upto the youth of this country now to bring that culture back into the society".