Indian Politics betrayed the people once again!UPA wins FDI battle in Lok Sabh.a, calls it victory o
Indian Politics betrayed the people once again!UPA wins FDI battle in Lok Sabha, calls it victory of reforms as Oppn cries foul!
Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time, Chapter: Nine Hundred Thirty Four
Palash Biswas
Mobile: 919903717833
Skype ID: palash.biswas44
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Indian Politics betrayed the people once again!UPA wins FDI battle in Lok Sabha, calls it victory of reforms as Oppn cries foul! FDI in multi-brand retail on Wednesday got the approval of the Lok Sabha as the Opposition motion seeking immediate withdrawal of the decision was rejected convincingly as the BSP and the SP staged a walkout.Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had a made a strong speech against FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha and the BSP had suggested that the government not rush into implementing it.We have the parliament but we the mango people, the majority outcaste, excluded have no representation in the parliament thanks to political reservation provided by Pune Pact. We were betrayed while the Indo US nuclear deal was passed. We have been betrayed while citizenship amendment law was enacted to introduce digital biometric citizenship.We are betrayed everytime while the constitution is killed and parliament is by passed. We are betrayed just because the governance and policy making process have been handed over to extraconstitutional corporate elements.Both, the ruling and opposition opting for extreme zionist religious nationalism, the political equations as well as the mandate have been manipulated to sustain manusmriti rule translated in free market economy. It has happened once again.The Opposition on Wednesday dismissed the government's Lok Sabha win on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail as "victory of the CBI over FDI", targeting the SP and BSP over their respective walkouts. FDI in retail is necessary to push GDP growth and deal with high current account deficit, besides bringing in technological improvements into the sector, US investment banking giant Goldman Sachs said Wednesday.Delhi: Indian industry on Wednesday welcomed the approval accorded by Lok Sabha to FDI in multi-brand retail, saying it will send a strong signal to foreign investors and enable the government to take up further economic reforms.he Opposition on Wednesday dubbed the government's victory on FDI vote in Lok Sabha as a “moral defeat” alleging the ruling dispensation managed the numbers by using CBI to pressurise political parties.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressed her happiness over the win in the voting on FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha, saying, "We are happy about the win and not worried about the Rajya Sabha."
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, commenting on the victory of the UPA government in the Lok Sabha by a slender margin of 35 votes on the motion on FDI today said that it was a minority government.
"The government is in a minority," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.
In a post on Facebook, she said "The mandate today proves that the UPA-II is a minority Government. As against the majority figure of 271, based on the total strength of the House, the support was only 253, despite all attempts made by the selfish people.
"This Government has lost its credibility. They must take fresh verdict from the people," she said.
After a long and fiery debate and dramatic walkout by the BSP and SP, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Wednesday defeated the motions by the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha over foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.The motion opposing the government's decision to allow 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail that would allow global supermarket chains to set up shop in India was moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the CPI-M. In fact, it was quite a comfortable win for the UPA as the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) walked out before the vote in the House.Members of the rival Uttar Pradesh parties - SP and the BSP - did not participate in the voting, alleging that interests of farmers and small retailers had been ignored. The move, however, seems to be strategically designed to help the government sail through the challenges. The walkouts brought the effective strength of the House down to 471 and the halfway strength came down to 236. Defeating the motions comfortably, the UPA got 253 votes in its favour, as there were 218 votes against the government.The Manmohan Singh-led government also won another motion on amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to enable FDI in multi-brand retail. While 254 voted in favour of the government, 224 were against. The motion was moved by the Trinamool Congress. The 253 'ayes' vs 218 'noes' said it all. The government had won. But the voting will still give the BJP, the major opposition party, some reason to smile.
"Every 1.7 dollar of foreign investment can generate one dollar of GDP growth, which is the lowest amount, simply because it has so many different linkages as opposed to putting in an additional dollar in banking," Goldman Sachs India Managing Director and Chief Economist Tushar Poddar said after announcing its India outlook for 2013.He said that in the medium-term there are several benefits of FDI in retail to the economy. "There is very high current account deficit, so we need FDI, we need inflows."
The country is running a high current account deficit (CAD) on the high trade deficit back of rising imports and steeply falling exports. In October, the trade deficit jumped to a high of USD 21 billion.
Similarly, CAD touched a massive 4.2 percent of GDP in the last fiscal after touching a record high of 4.5 percent in the March quarter. Though in the first quarter of this fiscal it tempered a bit to 3.9 percent of GDP.
The foreign direct investment in the sector brings technological improvements as it generates back-end structure, Poddar said, adding, "it also creates linkages to the economy".
Moreover, he said, every dollar of investment made into the retail, generates more into GDP growth then in any other sectors.
However, Poddar said the quantum of investment would depend on factors such as the number of states which implement it as also the number of cities it is allowed in.
Last week, Goldman had forecast the domestic economy to grow from 5.4 percent in 2012 to 6.5 percent in 2013 and remain high through 2015-2016.
It had also upgraded the country's stock market to "overweight" and had pegged a December 2013 Nifty target of 6,600 points.
The brokerage cited three factors for the optimism such as a decline in oil prices in real terms over the next few years, a more favourable external demand outlook and domestic structural reforms which can ease some supply-side constraints, according to Goldman Sachs.
Retail stocks, led by Shoppers Stop, Wednesday surged up to 7 percent on optimism that the government would succeed in getting Parliament approval to its decision to allow foreign investment in the sector.
Shares of Shoppers Stop climbed 7.28 percent to settle at Rs 463.65 on the BSE.
Trent, promoted by the Tata group, gained 4.25 percent, while shares of Pantaloon Retail rose by 3.32 percent.
Among others, Provogue India soared 6.15 percent, while Koutons Retail India was up 4.97 percent.
Market experts said that retail stocks rallied on hopes of a favourable outcome in Parliament.
"It is a welcome development. We fully support the government on the issue. The country needs to move forward. We need to send a strong signal to foreign investors," said FICCI President R V Kanoria.
Expressing similar sentiments, CII Director General Chabdrajeet Banerjee said: "It is an important thing. It will boost the government's confidence to implement key economic reforms. This move would definitely help the government in passing the other important and pending reform measures very quickly."
Retailers Association of India also hailed the development saying it is "a big positive step".
"This is one more step towards encouraging those who have been sitting on the fence to invest in India," Retailers Association of India CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said.
He, however, said there were other issues, like not all states allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, which need to be resolved for more foreign investments to come in the sector.
Pantaloon Retail India Joint Managing Director Rakesh Biyani said: "This is a welcome development and we hope that the policy will be implemented soon. FDI will be good for the Indian retail sector."
Even as it voted in favour of FDI in retail, UPA's key constituent NCP Wednesday struck a discordant note by saying that it did not support implementation of the decision in Maharashtra.
"NCP does not support FDI in multi-brand retail," Patel, who is also the Union Minister for Heavy Industry, told reporters outside Parliament soon after its members voted in favour of the move in the Lok Sabha.
He said the decision to implement FDI in retail in Maharashtra would be taken after consultations with its coalition partner Congress.
Earlier participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha, Patel sought to differ with Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who had yesterday said the Maharashtra government had spoken in favour of FDI in retail.
Noting that FDI would be implemented only in cities with population more than 10 lakh, he said "it is possible that this experiment may not succeed. If this does not work out, then be it (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar or myself we can revise our opinion.
"In Maharashtra, we have a coalition government (with Congress). Kapilji, yesterday you had said that Maharashtra government has favoured FDI in retail.
"But, I would like to make it clear on behalf of my party, I wish to state that there is a coordination committee (in the state). We will meet, discuss its merits and demerits and then decide on our party's stand which will be conveyed."
Yesterday, another key UPA constituent DMK had voiced its opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail.
DMK leader T K S Elangovan said the party was with the government because it had stated that FDI was the need of the hour to save the fiscal condition of the States.
The victory of the government after two days of heated debate was immediately hailed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
"FDI policy that we have put in place has the approval of this House (Lok Sabha)," said Singh, who is a member of Rajya Sabha but was present during the voting in the Lower House.
This was after a gap of many years that an executive decision of the government was put to vote in Parliament.
"We are very happy. We have the support of the House," said a beaming Communications Minister Kapil Sibal while lauding the country's "vibrant democracy".
"Five crore (50 million) people in retail trade will be destroyed. This decision has ignored the interests of 20 crore (200 million) farmers and their families. The decision on FDI was taken under pressure of foreign companies. This is the reason the party boycotted it," Mulayam Singh had said.
"This is not about helping or harming the government. The whole party and MPs had decided to stage a walkout. This was decided by the party and the SP will continue to oppose every wrong decision of the government," he said
The debate is expected in the Rajya Sabha, upper House, on Thursday where the government does not have the numbers.
Earlier, replying to the discussion, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma dismissed the Opposition charge that the move would hurt small traders and farmers and that the government has rushed the decision.
He said the decision was not taken overnight and deliberations were held with chief ministers and other stake holders like association of farmers, consumer organisations and representatives of the food processing industry.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who had moved the motion, maintained that majority of the House was against FDI in retail which was reflected in speeches of leaders of different political parties.
The decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail is expected to open the doors for major global names such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco.
However,the Opposition on Wednesday dubbed the government's victory on FDI vote in Lok Sabha as a "moral defeat" alleging the ruling dispensation managed the numbers by using CBI to pressurise political parties. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said it has become clear that the government is in "minority".
"This has hapened for the third time consecutively when the government could mange a simple majority in Lok sabha. First time was during the passage of the Lokpal bill, second time during the discussion on price rise and today is the third occasion," she said.
Talking to reporters after the vote, Swaraj said beside Congress, the role of SP and BSP has also been "exposed."
"They were on our side during the debate but voted against the motion. Had they voted according to their speech in the House, then the government would have been defeated on FDI. Though they won technically, they have lost morally," she said.
The motion seeking cancellation of FEMA modifications moved by Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy was also defeated in the Lok Sabha. While there were 224 votes in favour of the motion, the government managed to negate it with 254 votes.
Expressing happiness over the win in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "FDI policy has the approval of the House." Reacting to the win, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also expressed her happiness saying she was not worried about the numbers in Rajya Sabha.
However, the defeat did not seem to go down well with the opposition parties, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties accused the government of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure a win in the House on the issue.
Senior Left leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, "The UPA has moved criminal method, by deliberately using the CBI and using parties to stage a walkout."
Terming it as a win of the CBI, veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said, "The CBI has won...we wanted to make a point that they are anti-farmers and we made it." He further said, "We got maximum support...two parties walked off."
The Trinamool Congress also used the opportunity to level allegations on the government, but stopped short of naming the CBI. Trinamool Congress leader Vivek Gupta said, "They must have arranged something...there was no reason given for the walkouts by the SP and the BSP."
The UPA, however, dismissed all the allegations calling them baseless. Union Oil Minister Veerappa Moily lashed out at the opposition parties, saying, "These are baseless allegations that we used the CBI...they are against the institution of Parliament. The TMC and the Left voted with communal forces."
Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid also attacked the opposition parties calling them "bad losers". The government further called it a victory of reforms. Union Minister Manish Tewari said, "This is the victory of reforms...this ensures that the Indian economy is strengthened."
The main opposition party, the BJP, however, continued its offensive even outside Parliament. Speaking to mediapersons after the voting, Leader of Opposition in the House, Sushma Swaraj, said, "After the voting on FDI, it is clear that the UPA government is in a minority."
The BJP leader also hit out at the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, accusing them of double standards. She pointed that during the debate, both the parties spoke against the FDI, but abstained from voting to give benefit to the government.
"If the BSP and the Samajwadi Party were against FDI in retail, they should have voted against the government and not abstained from voting in Lok Sabha," said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
Veteran BJP leader and former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha also claimed that the government was in a minority. He said, "This has been proved that the government does not have a majority in the House," adding, "our strategy will be the same in the Rajya Sabha...we will try to defeat the government in Rajya Sabha."
ujarat chief minister Narendra Modi today criticised Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for "not finding time" to ensure availability of fertilisers to farmers even as it is trying to hard sell the FDI policy in Parliament.
"I am surprised to know that FDI issue has reached Parliament, which makes way for MNCs to spread business in India...but the Delhi government has no time to discuss how fertiliser can reach farmers," Modi said while addressing poll rallies in different parts of the state.
"FDI in multi-brand retail will lead to closure of small grocery shops, and render small shopkeepers jobless," he said reiterating his party's stand on the issue.
Modi has been accusing Centre of "having failed" to boost the country's fertiliser production, resulting in up to 300% price rise of this essential commodity for farmers.
"There is a serious charge against the Delhi Sultanate...They have failed in taking any steps to increase national fertiliser production in last eight years," Modi said.
"Not a single new fertiliser production unit has been set up by them (government), especially when the farmers are left with no option but to buy it from black market due to an increasing demand scenario," the Gujarat CM said.
In last one year or so the fertiliser prices have risen sharply as the demand has gone up, he said.
"DAP which was available at Rs500 per kg in 2010 today costs Rs1,250. Likewise NPK fertilisers prices have risen from Rs425 per kg to Rs1,175, a rise of 175% in last one year or so, while MOP which once cost Rs225 per kg is now available at Rs1,000, a rise of 300 per cent," Modi said.
Alleging that Congress have misled farmers, Modi said, "Cheating is tendency of Congress which seeks votes in the name of farmers".
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convener Sharad Yadav also said that the opposition tried to prove its point in the Lok Sabha and claimed that it had been successful in doing that.
Hours later, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who had walked out of the UPA government over recent economic reforms, posted a message on Facebook, saying, "It is a shame. The mandate today proves that the UPA-II is a minority government. As against the majority figure of 271, based on the total strength of the House, the support was only 253, despite all attempts made by the selfish people. This Government has lost its credibility. They must take fresh verdict from the people."
The 22 MPs of the Samajwadi Party and the 21 MPs of the Bahujan Samaj Party walked out of Lok Sabha ahead of the crucial FDI vote in Parliament. Sources said that BSP supremo Mayawati was reportedly unhappy as Commerce Minister Anand Sharma did not address their concerns over FDI during his speech.
Speaking to reporters, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said, "We have boycotted this debate. It was decided by the party. This was the best decision the SP could come up with. FDI is anti-farmer."
Earlier on Wednesday, replying to the debate on FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha, Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma said that the decision was not taken by the government overnight. Pointing that FDI had been a topic of discussion for years in the country, Sharma said that lack of infrastructure and cold storage in the country was leading to excessive wastage. He added that "as an agrarian economy, we have to ensure minimum wastage."
"Farmers suffer due to lack of food management in the country...farm product losses are seen at 35-40 per cent," said Anand Sharma. He further said that the decision on FDI in retail had been taken by the government after consulting all stakeholders, adding, "Farm produce worth Rs 65,000 crore is wasted per year".
Targeting the Opposition, Sharma pointed that three BJP-ruled states - Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab - never opposed the move of the government in writing. He further said that 11 Chief Ministers had backed the proposal, adding that the government had consulted 12 farmer unions and 17 biggest consumer bodies in the country over the issue.
The Minister further said that the government respected federalism and was not forcing FDI in retail on states.
Another major highlight of the debate in the Lok Sabha over the issue was the speech of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad. Extending the support of his party to the UPA government, Lalu in his inimitable style launched a scathing attack on the opposition.
Arguing for FDI in the House, the former Bihar chief minister targeted senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj in the House questioning their opposition to the issue of FDI.
He pointed that the BJP itself wanted FDI in 2002, saying, "There is no compulsion on FDI, everyone is free to choose what to buy and from where to buy...there is no compulsion on the states to embrace FDI."
The RJD chief questioned the knowledge of senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi about the farmers in the country. He said, "Do you know how paddy is cultivated?" Lalu also targeted Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, saying, "While she is opposing FDI in retail, she is fond of Nescafe."
The former Bihar chief minister went on to attack Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, pointing that the BJP leader was inviting companies from Japan to invest in his state. Praising the government for bringing in FDI, the RJD chief said, "Today the entire country can see how determined the Prime Minister is to bring in economic reforms."
Meanwhile, there were a few absentees during the voting in the Lok Sabha as well. Those absent during the vote included Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), two MPs of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman and Asad Owaisi of MIM. JVM MP Dr Ajay Kumar, however, voted against the government.
As the UPA Wednesday continued talks with opposition parties to elicit their support to foreign investment in retail during the vote in the Lok Sabha, the Samajwadi Party (SP) said it was against the move but would not do anything to "trouble the government".
"We are in talks with opposition parties to persuade them to vote in favour of FDI in retail," minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla said.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:06 IST
Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj's statement towards the end of her debate on FDI in multi-brand retail has exposed the Bharatiya Janata Party's floor strategy on this discussion.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:14 IST
Stating that he does not wish to respond to the speech of Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government is confident about getting the numbers to pass the FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha.
"Why would we agree to a debate on the issue, if we were not confident," said Singh.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:16 IST
Citing the impact of foreign entry in agriculture and pharamceutical sector, Basudeb Acharia of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said, "The foreign investiment has hardly helped the Indian economy. During our visit to suicide hit areas of Yavatmal, our team found that foreign seed companies like Monsanto had monopolised agriculture."
"It has been observed that all the countries where companies like Wal-mart are operating, inflation has only shot up," he added.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:21 IST
"Compared to US where 70% cold storgage facility is available, Wal-mart operates with ease. Contrary to this, India has not such facilities," said Acharia.
"According to our FDI proposal, 30% sourcing will be allowed from across the world. This will hurt the indigenous industries. We are opposing the FDI in retail as it will hit the farmer hard," said Acharia.
Stating that the FDI in retail wil hit at least 25 crore people, Acharia said, "It is these steps which have pushed Europe into inflation. Had the entry of MNCs been linked to reduced prices, why would Europe face inflation?"
Seeking a rethink on the FDI policy, Acharia said, "We know that the policy is not favour of our indigenous retail sector. The move will meet with opposition across the country."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:24 IST
Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav rises to speak.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:28 IST
"When the nuclear deal was brought about, the Left opposed the move. Then came the move to push FDI in retail, which was opposed tooth and nail by Trinamool Congress," said Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:29 IST
"When Kapil Sibal spoke about the FDI on Tuesday, it became clear that the languages spoken in select areas of the Capital and that spoken by the rest of the millions are different."
When Sibal said the market and the economy are hit, he missed out on the fact that the millions living in the rest of the country are also contributing to the economy. "It may be remembered that India and China are the oldest civilisations, and have survived all along without being linked so closely to the global markets," said Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:34 IST
"When I go to villages, I can see people selling mangoes, guavas and fruits being sold along with their leaves. Millions like them toil even as they cling to the wheel of the economy. post-Indepence, nearly two lakh farmers have committed suicide," said Yadav.
"Mr Kapil Sibal, you made a difference to the lives of a handful of people numbering may be 85,000 people," he added.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:39 IST
"You talk of people going by their cars. Remember Kapil Sibal, these cars are being run on deisel that gets subsidy from you."
The government is creating a class divide by bringing in FDI. "Had we wanted to bring down the government, we would have supported the TMC move," said Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:41 IST
Stating that the government is bothered more by markets than the country, Yadav said, "Always remember, India ruled the global markets until 1500 AD, when China and India competed to rule the world economy. In 17th century, India led the global economy at 24%, and after 65 years of Indepence the country's GDP has been brought down 5.5%."
Yadav's statistics is opposed by other members of the Lok Sabha, some raising slogans like "Please don't give us gyan."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:45 IST
According to Yadav, the East India Company powered by the industrial revolution came in to destroy the markets of China and India.
The reason for this decline has come about because we have sidelined the majority. "The colour of our Gods' skin is dark, then why so much love for the white skin?" asks Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:47 IST
"If the government does not roll back FDI, then we will roll back the government," says Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:50 IST
Stating that "we are not against the markets", Yadav said, "This Independence has failed to stand beside the farmer. While one part of the country enjoys cars, rich food and travel, the other struggles for one meal a day."
"We may lose the FDI vote, but the struggle will continue. We only request you to rethink the FDI proposal. For, if we push the masses into yet another morass, histroy will not forgive us," said Yadav.
"Not us, but our future generations will never forgive us," he added.
Reconsider FDI decision, JD-U to government
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:56 IST
Meanwhile, BJP leader and the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley alleged that the disruption of the House was "a result of the fact the government lacks the numbers". The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Thursday after BSP members created ruckus over a memorial dedicated to Dalit leader Babasaheb Ambedkar.
"The disruptions which have been on the past two days. I have a suspicion that the government is not confident of its numbers on the vote on FDI. Hence the government with help from its allies has been successful in disrupting the house for the past two days," alleged Jaitley.
Government deliberately disrupting Rajya Sabha: Jaitley
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:06 IST
"FDI will lead to social unrest," says Biju Janata Dal, adding that, "Small shops will die out."
FDI in retail will cause social unrest: BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:19 IST
Anant Geete of the Shiv Sena has conveyed the party's strong disapproval for foreign investment in retail.
Voicing strong opposition to FDI, Geete said, "Kapil Sibal may choose to welcome Wal-mart at India Gate, but we promise not to allow them to land at Gateway of India."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:20 IST
Stating that nearly 70% people across the country were opposed to FDI, Geete said, "We will oppose the move both inside and outside the House."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:30 IST
Nationalist Congress Party's Praful Patel rises to speak.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:31 IST
"The scene in the House is similar to all the earlier days when a contentious debate has taken place. Today, there are malls in every city and town across the country. China-made products are available in every mall. But no one is opposing these malls as leaders of every party are building them," began Praful Patel.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:35 IST
"The liberalisation policy started in the 1990s was carried forward by none other than then finance minister Yashwant Sinha of the BJP (read: which has moved the debate). Also, Indian businesses have grown in this post-liberalised era," said Patel.
In a bid to allay fears of western infusion into the Indian ma
Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time, Chapter: Nine Hundred Thirty Four
Palash Biswas
Mobile: 919903717833
Skype ID: palash.biswas44
Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com
Indian Politics betrayed the people once again!UPA wins FDI battle in Lok Sabha, calls it victory of reforms as Oppn cries foul! FDI in multi-brand retail on Wednesday got the approval of the Lok Sabha as the Opposition motion seeking immediate withdrawal of the decision was rejected convincingly as the BSP and the SP staged a walkout.Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had a made a strong speech against FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha and the BSP had suggested that the government not rush into implementing it.We have the parliament but we the mango people, the majority outcaste, excluded have no representation in the parliament thanks to political reservation provided by Pune Pact. We were betrayed while the Indo US nuclear deal was passed. We have been betrayed while citizenship amendment law was enacted to introduce digital biometric citizenship.We are betrayed everytime while the constitution is killed and parliament is by passed. We are betrayed just because the governance and policy making process have been handed over to extraconstitutional corporate elements.Both, the ruling and opposition opting for extreme zionist religious nationalism, the political equations as well as the mandate have been manipulated to sustain manusmriti rule translated in free market economy. It has happened once again.The Opposition on Wednesday dismissed the government's Lok Sabha win on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail as "victory of the CBI over FDI", targeting the SP and BSP over their respective walkouts. FDI in retail is necessary to push GDP growth and deal with high current account deficit, besides bringing in technological improvements into the sector, US investment banking giant Goldman Sachs said Wednesday.Delhi: Indian industry on Wednesday welcomed the approval accorded by Lok Sabha to FDI in multi-brand retail, saying it will send a strong signal to foreign investors and enable the government to take up further economic reforms.he Opposition on Wednesday dubbed the government's victory on FDI vote in Lok Sabha as a “moral defeat” alleging the ruling dispensation managed the numbers by using CBI to pressurise political parties.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressed her happiness over the win in the voting on FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha, saying, "We are happy about the win and not worried about the Rajya Sabha."
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, commenting on the victory of the UPA government in the Lok Sabha by a slender margin of 35 votes on the motion on FDI today said that it was a minority government.
"The government is in a minority," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.
In a post on Facebook, she said "The mandate today proves that the UPA-II is a minority Government. As against the majority figure of 271, based on the total strength of the House, the support was only 253, despite all attempts made by the selfish people.
"This Government has lost its credibility. They must take fresh verdict from the people," she said.
After a long and fiery debate and dramatic walkout by the BSP and SP, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Wednesday defeated the motions by the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha over foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.The motion opposing the government's decision to allow 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail that would allow global supermarket chains to set up shop in India was moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the CPI-M. In fact, it was quite a comfortable win for the UPA as the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) walked out before the vote in the House.Members of the rival Uttar Pradesh parties - SP and the BSP - did not participate in the voting, alleging that interests of farmers and small retailers had been ignored. The move, however, seems to be strategically designed to help the government sail through the challenges. The walkouts brought the effective strength of the House down to 471 and the halfway strength came down to 236. Defeating the motions comfortably, the UPA got 253 votes in its favour, as there were 218 votes against the government.The Manmohan Singh-led government also won another motion on amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to enable FDI in multi-brand retail. While 254 voted in favour of the government, 224 were against. The motion was moved by the Trinamool Congress. The 253 'ayes' vs 218 'noes' said it all. The government had won. But the voting will still give the BJP, the major opposition party, some reason to smile.
"Every 1.7 dollar of foreign investment can generate one dollar of GDP growth, which is the lowest amount, simply because it has so many different linkages as opposed to putting in an additional dollar in banking," Goldman Sachs India Managing Director and Chief Economist Tushar Poddar said after announcing its India outlook for 2013.He said that in the medium-term there are several benefits of FDI in retail to the economy. "There is very high current account deficit, so we need FDI, we need inflows."
The country is running a high current account deficit (CAD) on the high trade deficit back of rising imports and steeply falling exports. In October, the trade deficit jumped to a high of USD 21 billion.
Similarly, CAD touched a massive 4.2 percent of GDP in the last fiscal after touching a record high of 4.5 percent in the March quarter. Though in the first quarter of this fiscal it tempered a bit to 3.9 percent of GDP.
The foreign direct investment in the sector brings technological improvements as it generates back-end structure, Poddar said, adding, "it also creates linkages to the economy".
Moreover, he said, every dollar of investment made into the retail, generates more into GDP growth then in any other sectors.
However, Poddar said the quantum of investment would depend on factors such as the number of states which implement it as also the number of cities it is allowed in.
Last week, Goldman had forecast the domestic economy to grow from 5.4 percent in 2012 to 6.5 percent in 2013 and remain high through 2015-2016.
It had also upgraded the country's stock market to "overweight" and had pegged a December 2013 Nifty target of 6,600 points.
The brokerage cited three factors for the optimism such as a decline in oil prices in real terms over the next few years, a more favourable external demand outlook and domestic structural reforms which can ease some supply-side constraints, according to Goldman Sachs.
Retail stocks, led by Shoppers Stop, Wednesday surged up to 7 percent on optimism that the government would succeed in getting Parliament approval to its decision to allow foreign investment in the sector.
Shares of Shoppers Stop climbed 7.28 percent to settle at Rs 463.65 on the BSE.
Trent, promoted by the Tata group, gained 4.25 percent, while shares of Pantaloon Retail rose by 3.32 percent.
Among others, Provogue India soared 6.15 percent, while Koutons Retail India was up 4.97 percent.
Market experts said that retail stocks rallied on hopes of a favourable outcome in Parliament.
"It is a welcome development. We fully support the government on the issue. The country needs to move forward. We need to send a strong signal to foreign investors," said FICCI President R V Kanoria.
Expressing similar sentiments, CII Director General Chabdrajeet Banerjee said: "It is an important thing. It will boost the government's confidence to implement key economic reforms. This move would definitely help the government in passing the other important and pending reform measures very quickly."
Retailers Association of India also hailed the development saying it is "a big positive step".
"This is one more step towards encouraging those who have been sitting on the fence to invest in India," Retailers Association of India CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said.
He, however, said there were other issues, like not all states allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, which need to be resolved for more foreign investments to come in the sector.
Pantaloon Retail India Joint Managing Director Rakesh Biyani said: "This is a welcome development and we hope that the policy will be implemented soon. FDI will be good for the Indian retail sector."
Even as it voted in favour of FDI in retail, UPA's key constituent NCP Wednesday struck a discordant note by saying that it did not support implementation of the decision in Maharashtra.
"NCP does not support FDI in multi-brand retail," Patel, who is also the Union Minister for Heavy Industry, told reporters outside Parliament soon after its members voted in favour of the move in the Lok Sabha.
He said the decision to implement FDI in retail in Maharashtra would be taken after consultations with its coalition partner Congress.
Earlier participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha, Patel sought to differ with Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who had yesterday said the Maharashtra government had spoken in favour of FDI in retail.
Noting that FDI would be implemented only in cities with population more than 10 lakh, he said "it is possible that this experiment may not succeed. If this does not work out, then be it (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar or myself we can revise our opinion.
"In Maharashtra, we have a coalition government (with Congress). Kapilji, yesterday you had said that Maharashtra government has favoured FDI in retail.
"But, I would like to make it clear on behalf of my party, I wish to state that there is a coordination committee (in the state). We will meet, discuss its merits and demerits and then decide on our party's stand which will be conveyed."
Yesterday, another key UPA constituent DMK had voiced its opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail.
DMK leader T K S Elangovan said the party was with the government because it had stated that FDI was the need of the hour to save the fiscal condition of the States.
The victory of the government after two days of heated debate was immediately hailed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
"FDI policy that we have put in place has the approval of this House (Lok Sabha)," said Singh, who is a member of Rajya Sabha but was present during the voting in the Lower House.
This was after a gap of many years that an executive decision of the government was put to vote in Parliament.
"We are very happy. We have the support of the House," said a beaming Communications Minister Kapil Sibal while lauding the country's "vibrant democracy".
"Five crore (50 million) people in retail trade will be destroyed. This decision has ignored the interests of 20 crore (200 million) farmers and their families. The decision on FDI was taken under pressure of foreign companies. This is the reason the party boycotted it," Mulayam Singh had said.
"This is not about helping or harming the government. The whole party and MPs had decided to stage a walkout. This was decided by the party and the SP will continue to oppose every wrong decision of the government," he said
The debate is expected in the Rajya Sabha, upper House, on Thursday where the government does not have the numbers.
Earlier, replying to the discussion, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma dismissed the Opposition charge that the move would hurt small traders and farmers and that the government has rushed the decision.
He said the decision was not taken overnight and deliberations were held with chief ministers and other stake holders like association of farmers, consumer organisations and representatives of the food processing industry.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who had moved the motion, maintained that majority of the House was against FDI in retail which was reflected in speeches of leaders of different political parties.
The decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail is expected to open the doors for major global names such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco.
However,the Opposition on Wednesday dubbed the government's victory on FDI vote in Lok Sabha as a "moral defeat" alleging the ruling dispensation managed the numbers by using CBI to pressurise political parties. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said it has become clear that the government is in "minority".
"This has hapened for the third time consecutively when the government could mange a simple majority in Lok sabha. First time was during the passage of the Lokpal bill, second time during the discussion on price rise and today is the third occasion," she said.
Talking to reporters after the vote, Swaraj said beside Congress, the role of SP and BSP has also been "exposed."
"They were on our side during the debate but voted against the motion. Had they voted according to their speech in the House, then the government would have been defeated on FDI. Though they won technically, they have lost morally," she said.
The motion seeking cancellation of FEMA modifications moved by Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy was also defeated in the Lok Sabha. While there were 224 votes in favour of the motion, the government managed to negate it with 254 votes.
Expressing happiness over the win in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "FDI policy has the approval of the House." Reacting to the win, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also expressed her happiness saying she was not worried about the numbers in Rajya Sabha.
However, the defeat did not seem to go down well with the opposition parties, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties accused the government of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure a win in the House on the issue.
Senior Left leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, "The UPA has moved criminal method, by deliberately using the CBI and using parties to stage a walkout."
Terming it as a win of the CBI, veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said, "The CBI has won...we wanted to make a point that they are anti-farmers and we made it." He further said, "We got maximum support...two parties walked off."
The Trinamool Congress also used the opportunity to level allegations on the government, but stopped short of naming the CBI. Trinamool Congress leader Vivek Gupta said, "They must have arranged something...there was no reason given for the walkouts by the SP and the BSP."
The UPA, however, dismissed all the allegations calling them baseless. Union Oil Minister Veerappa Moily lashed out at the opposition parties, saying, "These are baseless allegations that we used the CBI...they are against the institution of Parliament. The TMC and the Left voted with communal forces."
Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid also attacked the opposition parties calling them "bad losers". The government further called it a victory of reforms. Union Minister Manish Tewari said, "This is the victory of reforms...this ensures that the Indian economy is strengthened."
The main opposition party, the BJP, however, continued its offensive even outside Parliament. Speaking to mediapersons after the voting, Leader of Opposition in the House, Sushma Swaraj, said, "After the voting on FDI, it is clear that the UPA government is in a minority."
The BJP leader also hit out at the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, accusing them of double standards. She pointed that during the debate, both the parties spoke against the FDI, but abstained from voting to give benefit to the government.
"If the BSP and the Samajwadi Party were against FDI in retail, they should have voted against the government and not abstained from voting in Lok Sabha," said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
Veteran BJP leader and former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha also claimed that the government was in a minority. He said, "This has been proved that the government does not have a majority in the House," adding, "our strategy will be the same in the Rajya Sabha...we will try to defeat the government in Rajya Sabha."
ujarat chief minister Narendra Modi today criticised Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for "not finding time" to ensure availability of fertilisers to farmers even as it is trying to hard sell the FDI policy in Parliament.
"I am surprised to know that FDI issue has reached Parliament, which makes way for MNCs to spread business in India...but the Delhi government has no time to discuss how fertiliser can reach farmers," Modi said while addressing poll rallies in different parts of the state.
"FDI in multi-brand retail will lead to closure of small grocery shops, and render small shopkeepers jobless," he said reiterating his party's stand on the issue.
Modi has been accusing Centre of "having failed" to boost the country's fertiliser production, resulting in up to 300% price rise of this essential commodity for farmers.
"There is a serious charge against the Delhi Sultanate...They have failed in taking any steps to increase national fertiliser production in last eight years," Modi said.
"Not a single new fertiliser production unit has been set up by them (government), especially when the farmers are left with no option but to buy it from black market due to an increasing demand scenario," the Gujarat CM said.
In last one year or so the fertiliser prices have risen sharply as the demand has gone up, he said.
"DAP which was available at Rs500 per kg in 2010 today costs Rs1,250. Likewise NPK fertilisers prices have risen from Rs425 per kg to Rs1,175, a rise of 175% in last one year or so, while MOP which once cost Rs225 per kg is now available at Rs1,000, a rise of 300 per cent," Modi said.
Alleging that Congress have misled farmers, Modi said, "Cheating is tendency of Congress which seeks votes in the name of farmers".
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convener Sharad Yadav also said that the opposition tried to prove its point in the Lok Sabha and claimed that it had been successful in doing that.
Hours later, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who had walked out of the UPA government over recent economic reforms, posted a message on Facebook, saying, "It is a shame. The mandate today proves that the UPA-II is a minority government. As against the majority figure of 271, based on the total strength of the House, the support was only 253, despite all attempts made by the selfish people. This Government has lost its credibility. They must take fresh verdict from the people."
The 22 MPs of the Samajwadi Party and the 21 MPs of the Bahujan Samaj Party walked out of Lok Sabha ahead of the crucial FDI vote in Parliament. Sources said that BSP supremo Mayawati was reportedly unhappy as Commerce Minister Anand Sharma did not address their concerns over FDI during his speech.
Speaking to reporters, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said, "We have boycotted this debate. It was decided by the party. This was the best decision the SP could come up with. FDI is anti-farmer."
Earlier on Wednesday, replying to the debate on FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha, Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma said that the decision was not taken by the government overnight. Pointing that FDI had been a topic of discussion for years in the country, Sharma said that lack of infrastructure and cold storage in the country was leading to excessive wastage. He added that "as an agrarian economy, we have to ensure minimum wastage."
"Farmers suffer due to lack of food management in the country...farm product losses are seen at 35-40 per cent," said Anand Sharma. He further said that the decision on FDI in retail had been taken by the government after consulting all stakeholders, adding, "Farm produce worth Rs 65,000 crore is wasted per year".
Targeting the Opposition, Sharma pointed that three BJP-ruled states - Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab - never opposed the move of the government in writing. He further said that 11 Chief Ministers had backed the proposal, adding that the government had consulted 12 farmer unions and 17 biggest consumer bodies in the country over the issue.
The Minister further said that the government respected federalism and was not forcing FDI in retail on states.
Another major highlight of the debate in the Lok Sabha over the issue was the speech of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad. Extending the support of his party to the UPA government, Lalu in his inimitable style launched a scathing attack on the opposition.
Arguing for FDI in the House, the former Bihar chief minister targeted senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj in the House questioning their opposition to the issue of FDI.
He pointed that the BJP itself wanted FDI in 2002, saying, "There is no compulsion on FDI, everyone is free to choose what to buy and from where to buy...there is no compulsion on the states to embrace FDI."
The RJD chief questioned the knowledge of senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi about the farmers in the country. He said, "Do you know how paddy is cultivated?" Lalu also targeted Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, saying, "While she is opposing FDI in retail, she is fond of Nescafe."
The former Bihar chief minister went on to attack Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, pointing that the BJP leader was inviting companies from Japan to invest in his state. Praising the government for bringing in FDI, the RJD chief said, "Today the entire country can see how determined the Prime Minister is to bring in economic reforms."
Meanwhile, there were a few absentees during the voting in the Lok Sabha as well. Those absent during the vote included Babulal Marandi of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), two MPs of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman and Asad Owaisi of MIM. JVM MP Dr Ajay Kumar, however, voted against the government.
As the UPA Wednesday continued talks with opposition parties to elicit their support to foreign investment in retail during the vote in the Lok Sabha, the Samajwadi Party (SP) said it was against the move but would not do anything to "trouble the government".
"We are in talks with opposition parties to persuade them to vote in favour of FDI in retail," minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla said.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:06 IST
Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj's statement towards the end of her debate on FDI in multi-brand retail has exposed the Bharatiya Janata Party's floor strategy on this discussion.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:14 IST
Stating that he does not wish to respond to the speech of Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government is confident about getting the numbers to pass the FDI in retail in the Lok Sabha.
"Why would we agree to a debate on the issue, if we were not confident," said Singh.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:16 IST
Citing the impact of foreign entry in agriculture and pharamceutical sector, Basudeb Acharia of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said, "The foreign investiment has hardly helped the Indian economy. During our visit to suicide hit areas of Yavatmal, our team found that foreign seed companies like Monsanto had monopolised agriculture."
"It has been observed that all the countries where companies like Wal-mart are operating, inflation has only shot up," he added.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:21 IST
"Compared to US where 70% cold storgage facility is available, Wal-mart operates with ease. Contrary to this, India has not such facilities," said Acharia.
"According to our FDI proposal, 30% sourcing will be allowed from across the world. This will hurt the indigenous industries. We are opposing the FDI in retail as it will hit the farmer hard," said Acharia.
Stating that the FDI in retail wil hit at least 25 crore people, Acharia said, "It is these steps which have pushed Europe into inflation. Had the entry of MNCs been linked to reduced prices, why would Europe face inflation?"
Seeking a rethink on the FDI policy, Acharia said, "We know that the policy is not favour of our indigenous retail sector. The move will meet with opposition across the country."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:24 IST
Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav rises to speak.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:28 IST
"When the nuclear deal was brought about, the Left opposed the move. Then came the move to push FDI in retail, which was opposed tooth and nail by Trinamool Congress," said Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:29 IST
"When Kapil Sibal spoke about the FDI on Tuesday, it became clear that the languages spoken in select areas of the Capital and that spoken by the rest of the millions are different."
When Sibal said the market and the economy are hit, he missed out on the fact that the millions living in the rest of the country are also contributing to the economy. "It may be remembered that India and China are the oldest civilisations, and have survived all along without being linked so closely to the global markets," said Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:34 IST
"When I go to villages, I can see people selling mangoes, guavas and fruits being sold along with their leaves. Millions like them toil even as they cling to the wheel of the economy. post-Indepence, nearly two lakh farmers have committed suicide," said Yadav.
"Mr Kapil Sibal, you made a difference to the lives of a handful of people numbering may be 85,000 people," he added.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:39 IST
"You talk of people going by their cars. Remember Kapil Sibal, these cars are being run on deisel that gets subsidy from you."
The government is creating a class divide by bringing in FDI. "Had we wanted to bring down the government, we would have supported the TMC move," said Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:41 IST
Stating that the government is bothered more by markets than the country, Yadav said, "Always remember, India ruled the global markets until 1500 AD, when China and India competed to rule the world economy. In 17th century, India led the global economy at 24%, and after 65 years of Indepence the country's GDP has been brought down 5.5%."
Yadav's statistics is opposed by other members of the Lok Sabha, some raising slogans like "Please don't give us gyan."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:45 IST
According to Yadav, the East India Company powered by the industrial revolution came in to destroy the markets of China and India.
The reason for this decline has come about because we have sidelined the majority. "The colour of our Gods' skin is dark, then why so much love for the white skin?" asks Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:47 IST
"If the government does not roll back FDI, then we will roll back the government," says Yadav.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:50 IST
Stating that "we are not against the markets", Yadav said, "This Independence has failed to stand beside the farmer. While one part of the country enjoys cars, rich food and travel, the other struggles for one meal a day."
"We may lose the FDI vote, but the struggle will continue. We only request you to rethink the FDI proposal. For, if we push the masses into yet another morass, histroy will not forgive us," said Yadav.
"Not us, but our future generations will never forgive us," he added.
Reconsider FDI decision, JD-U to government
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 12:56 IST
Meanwhile, BJP leader and the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley alleged that the disruption of the House was "a result of the fact the government lacks the numbers". The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Thursday after BSP members created ruckus over a memorial dedicated to Dalit leader Babasaheb Ambedkar.
"The disruptions which have been on the past two days. I have a suspicion that the government is not confident of its numbers on the vote on FDI. Hence the government with help from its allies has been successful in disrupting the house for the past two days," alleged Jaitley.
Government deliberately disrupting Rajya Sabha: Jaitley
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:06 IST
"FDI will lead to social unrest," says Biju Janata Dal, adding that, "Small shops will die out."
FDI in retail will cause social unrest: BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:19 IST
Anant Geete of the Shiv Sena has conveyed the party's strong disapproval for foreign investment in retail.
Voicing strong opposition to FDI, Geete said, "Kapil Sibal may choose to welcome Wal-mart at India Gate, but we promise not to allow them to land at Gateway of India."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:20 IST
Stating that nearly 70% people across the country were opposed to FDI, Geete said, "We will oppose the move both inside and outside the House."
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:30 IST
Nationalist Congress Party's Praful Patel rises to speak.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:31 IST
"The scene in the House is similar to all the earlier days when a contentious debate has taken place. Today, there are malls in every city and town across the country. China-made products are available in every mall. But no one is opposing these malls as leaders of every party are building them," began Praful Patel.
Wednesday, Dec 5, 2012 13:35 IST
"The liberalisation policy started in the 1990s was carried forward by none other than then finance minister Yashwant Sinha of the BJP (read: which has moved the debate). Also, Indian businesses have grown in this post-liberalised era," said Patel.
In a bid to allay fears of western infusion into the Indian ma
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