The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), on Tuesday, objected to the Union Food Processing Ministry’s recommendation for foreign direct investment in food and non-food products under the multi-brand retail policy.
The RSS-affiliated organisation demanded that Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal be sacked for making the recommendation.
On the sidelines of a meeting of State Food Processing Ministers here on Monday, Ms. Badal told presspersons that the Ministry had sent the recommendation to the Union Cabinet and it expected approvals before November.
She said several countries had asked for the inclusion of several food and non-food items in multi-brand retail. India allows 51% FDI for multi-brand retail, but only food products manufactured in India could be sold here.
Ashwani Mahajan of the SJM told The Hindu that the organisation had severe objections to the recommendation.
He tweeted that Ms. Badal should be sacked from the Union Cabinet for such a recommendation. “Even before the 2014 elections, the NDA’s position was clear on this and after it came to power, there was an assurance that this [opening up of multi-brand retail] would not happen. Why then is the Minister saying these things,” he said.
‘Irresponsible act’
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji should sack this Minister for giving such irresponsible statements on FDI in retail,” he said.
The SJM has been consistently opposing expansion of items under FDI especially in food processing and security services. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had also opposed this move of FDI in food processing when it was first proposed last year.
