Finding it difficult to break the logjam in Parliament, the government on Monday indicated to the Opposition it was prepared to hit the pause button on FDI in retail till a broad consensus is reached. It has convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday to settle the issue. The Opposition, however, is insisting on a complete rollback, not just putting a policy decision on hold.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, the government’s chief crisis manager, spoke to NDA working chairman L.K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury to tell them the government was willing to hold back the decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.
Both Ms Swaraj and Mr Yechury advised the government to convene an all-party meeting to communicate its intentions, and then to inform Parliament.
Ms Swaraj said: “I told Pranabda he should pick up the threads where they were left last time. Since he promised to get back to the Opposition at the last all-party meet, a similar meeting should be convened Wednesday morning (December 7) where the government can clarify its stand.”
The government accepted this suggestion and informed the leaders of all parliamentary parties.
Law minister Salman Khurshid, meanwhile, sought to turn the tables on the BJP on the FDI issue, accusing that party of “hypocrisy” by first demanding it in its manifesto and then opposing it. “They (BJP) must account for what they have done by taking flip-flop positions, and indulging in hypocrisy. They said one thing in their own manifesto, and say something (else) here,” he said.
The BJP made it clear it wanted a complete rollback of the FDI decision. “The BJP clearly stated at the all-party meeting that it wants a rollback. Let the government come out with a formal response,” said party spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad.
Talking to reporters later, Mr Yechury said: “We continue to stick to our demand of unconditional reversal... Mr Mukherjee told us the government has decided to put the decision (on) FDI in suspension and wanted the Parliament session to continue.”
Asked what her party would do if the government only offered to defer the decision at the all-party meeting, Ms Swaraj said while her party was firm on a rollback, “we will see what the UPA says on Wednesday before taking a decision”.