Holding that it was the Opposition’s “prerogative” to raise issues, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the government must take the Opposition into confidence to resolve the logjam in Parliament. She suggested convening an all-party meeting was one way of doing this.
Talking to reporters after meeting with Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram here on Thursday, Ms. Banerjee said the Opposition could raise issues but indicated that it was for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to decide whether or not to accept the demand for his resignation. Ms. Banerjee said a meeting of all political parties was the need of the day to resolve the standoff between the government and the Opposition. “We must take Opposition into confidence. There are so many big issues and it can be sorted out through talks, negotiation and discussion,” she said.
Foundation of democracy
“Parliament is a foundation of the democratic system. Our view is that if any issue or scandal is raised then there must be full debate on it,’’ she said.
Responding to the demand for Dr. Singh’s resignation, she said “Opposition parties can raise it.”
Normal business in Parliament remained suspended for the third consecutive day with the main Opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, unrelenting on its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over CAG report citing irregularities in coal blocks allocation.
Reiterating her stand party’s stand on Foreign Direct Investment, Ms Banerjee said: “We are not in favour of FDI. Whether in insurance, aviation or retail, we are against FDI. We stand by our manifesto and we are for common people. We would not deviate from it.”
In the capital for the UPA's coordination committee yesterday, Ms Banerjee also made a courtesy call to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Keywords: FDI in retail, Mamata Banerjee, FDI, retail sector
Jaya Ho, Mamatha for having articulated the pitfalls of FDI in retail which will result in closure of so many SMEs who today manufacture items of daily use as those will be imported by Walmart and others from China. As you rightly said unemployment will rise in all sectors not just trade and small businesses as projected by Congress.
Mamata di....please don't try to convert India into west Bengal.She is
having around 20-25 MP but she is taken whole country's policy in her
ransom.
How does FDI in aviation hurt "common people"? It is so sad that
Congress needs Mamata's support to bring forth reforms. That lady has no
understanding of economics and cares only for votes.
The strong opposition by Trinamool Congress against allowing FDI in key sectors like retail, insurance and aviation arguing that it would be harmful for the people of the country is a welcome phenomenon. In fact, almost all opposition parties, most allays of UPA and many Congress Party men are against such neo-liberal reforms. A Company like Wall-Mart, if it enters India, will sell everything tradable in the retail market, which an ordinary retailer can never imagine selling. The tiny traders will never be able to stand the price war created by these big retailers and as a result they will not be able to survive. These persons will not be able to find jobs in other sectors because of lack of job opportunities. Experiences show that even retailers in the organised sector will not be capable of facing the onslaught from firms such as Wall-Mart, if and when it comes. Therefore, allowing the multinational retail giants into India tantamount to opening the Pandora’s Box.
Pl. ask all the chief ministers following question:
1. How their state is planning to improve the agriculture productivity. Agriculture is a state subject. Pl. provide us the
actions taken on ground (not reports and committees), we would like to
visit the places where results are on ground.
2. How they are planning to reduce inflation and what infrastructure
they have created in last three years to reduce food wastage through
state warehousing corporations and other state agencies. provide
address where actual work happened on ground in last three years.
regards,
Vijay
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