Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS) The raging political storm over the government’s controversial decision of allowing foreign equity in retail ensured there was no work done in parliament Tuesday, raising fears of another dry spell winter session, like last year.

The parliament logjam continued for the sixth day of the 21-day winter session after an all-party meeting to defuse the crisis ended without any consensus over the decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector.

Both the houses have not done any significant legislative business since the session opened last Tuesday with issues like price rise, corruption, black money and now the FDI blocking parliament.

The government convened a meeting of leaders of political parties Tuesday to convince them over the cabinet decision approving 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail and 100 percent in single brand retail.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee chaired the meeting, attended by opposition parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Left, AIADMK, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party as well as the Congress and its allies like the Trinamool Congress and DMK in the United Progressive Alliance.

But the meeting failed to break the deadlock, with both sides unrelenting on their stands.

Opponents of the FDI in retail say the move will create unemployment and hurt small traders and farmers in India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, later addressing Congress workers here, defied calls for a roll back.

He said it was a well considered policy that would benefit people by bringing jobs and latest technology to farmers.

Flaying the opposition for opposing the key decision on economic reforms, he said they were disrupting parliament and blocking crucial legislations needed for India’s economic prosperity.

However, the bigger concern for the government remains staunch opposition to the issue by the UPA partners - the Trinamool Congress and the DMK.

Trinamool Congress sources told IANS the party had made it clear to the government it wanted a reversal of the decision.

“We have categorically said ‘no’ to FDI. But we won’t withdraw our support (to the government),” a Trinamool leader said.

He refused to buy the government argument that 30 percent mandatory procurement from small and medium enterprises would be reserved for Indians only.

“This is against WTO rules. Whom is the government fooling,” said the Trinamool leader.

The opposition said it would accept nothing less than a rollback of the policy.

“We have conveyed our opinion to the government,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said.

Yechury alleged the government had triggered the controversy in order to divert attention from other issues.

“We think that by such a provocative act, the government is actually wishing, or working, to ensure that this winter session of the parliament does not function, so that it will not be accountable on many other issues, which it wants to avoid,” he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj also questioned the timing of the decision, stating that it had divided the government’s own house at a critical juncture.

“We said the house can function today if you roll back the decision. But Mukherjee gave no decision from government’s side saying he will talk to the prime minister,” Sushma Swaraj said.

The winter session of parliament has so far turned out to be a complete washout. The government has listed crucial bills to be considered, which includes the anti-graft Lokpal bill and food security bill.

However, none of the 31 listed bills has been introduced so far. This has given rise to fear that parliament may be heading for another wasted winter session, the way it happened last year.

The 2010 winter session was a complete washout following protests over the alleged 2G scam.