The Congress' Core Group met once again on Friday to review the situation arising out of the FDI controversy, with the focus on keeping in close touch with the allies, especially the Trinamool Congress whose chief Mamata Banerjee has clearly stated her party could not under any circumstances support the decision to permit foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.
The Opposition has been demanding an adjournment motion, which entails voting, on the subject.
With the next meeting of Parliament slated for December 7, the UPA will use the next four days to try and create public opinion for its FDI decision and to break the deadlock. The government wants to fill the public space with arguments in favour of the new FDI policy and its managers have been pointing out that farmers' associations such as the Consortium of Indian Farmers' Association are backing its decision.
While the top leadership of the government — and the Congress — continues to be engaged in negotiating with both the Opposition and allied parties, especially the Trinamool, the government's managers are working overtime on a media blitz.
Moreover, since Thursday senior ministers have been publicly stressing that an executive decision does not require parliamentary approval.
On Friday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee stressed, at the HT Leadership Summit, that permitting FDI in retail required an executive decision which the government had taken, and that it did not require Parliament's approval. Later in the day, at a tea party hosted by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, where several Cabinet Ministers were present, the same argument was reiterated.
While Commerce Minister Anand Sharma is giving a series of interviews to television channels and newspapers, especially the regional and vernacular press, explaining the merits of the policy, the inbuilt safeguards, and most of all, the fact that States are free not to implement it, 11 new government spokespersons have been appointed to strengthen the government's media outreach on this and other ticklish issues.
They are Ministers of State Krishna Tirath, Ajay Maken, Jyotiraditya Scindia, D. Purandeswari, M.M. Pallam Raju, Jitin Prasada, Sachin Pilot, R.P.N. Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Milind Deora and Rajeev Shukla. While these 11 will not be part of the P. Chidambaram-led Group of Ministers on media management, they will assist the GoM by being available to the press, particularly TV channels and the fast expanding regional media.
