Family plots

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma’s attempts to defend the government’s policy allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail ended up providing ammunition for the Opposition to target him. In an attempt to highlight the hysteria that Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley had created with his powerful oratory against retail FDI, Sharma said, “Even my mother, who is old and not even literate, is worried. She is one of those who does not even utter her husband’s name and even she was alarmed [hearing Jaitley’s tirade].” “Yeh Anand ne kya kar dala [what has Anand ended up doing],” the minister said, quoting his mother. To this an amused Jaitley promptly replied, “Mr Minister, even your own family members are not convinced about this policy. If not us, you should at least heed them.”