Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee recalled here on Thursday a statement made in Parliament by the former Union Finance Minister and now President, Pranab Mukherjee, on allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector even as she questioned the UPA government for “deviating” from its earlier stand on the matter.
She posted her remarks on her Facebook page two days after her party decided to withdraw support to the UPA government. She referred to the statement made by Mr. Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha on December 7, 2011, that the Centre would proceed on FDI in multi-brand retail after a “consensus is developed through the process of consultation amongst all stakeholders.”
“Now tell us who has deviated from this statement of the Centre,” she asked.
The Congress, however, expressed its resentment over “dragging the name of the President into a political debate.” The statement was made by the UPA on the floor of the House and it has nothing to do with the views of President who was elected to office several months after making the remarks as Union Finance Minister. “It is wrong to drag the President into a political debate,” Congress State unit general secretary Omprakash Mishra said.
