New Delhi: Desperate to break the deadlock in Parliament, the government on Monday informed the opposition parties that it was willing to hold back the decision on FDI in retail sector.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that a final decision on the FDI issue would be taken only after consulting stakeholders and the Opposition, which insisted on a complete rollback and not just holdback.
Despite the victory, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury suggested the government convene an all-party meeting to convey its decision and then inform Parliament.
"I told Pranabda that he should pick up the threads where they were left the last time. Since he had promised to get back to the Opposition in the last all-party meeting, a similar meeting should be convened on Wednesday (December 7) in the morning where the government can clarify its stand," Swaraj told.
Asserting his party's demand for a complete rollback, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The BJP has clearly stated in the all-party meeting that it wants a rollback. Let the government come out with a formal response."
Yechury too expressed similar views. “We continue to stick to our demand of unconditional reversal of the decision on FDI. Mukherjee told us that Government has decided to put the decision of FDI in suspension and wanted the Parliament session to continue," Yechury later said.
Sources in both the BJP and the Left parties insisted that since there are differences within the Union Cabinet as well as in Congress on the FDI issue, such informal communication may not be the last word.
UPA allies TMC and DMK have openly opposed the decision while NCP has suggested that it should go by the sense of the House.
On its part, Congress put a brave face on the issue. "The decision to allow FDI in retail is right. In democracy, sometimes you have to rework your steps....You have to take everyone along...", said party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury.
Source Ahmedabad Mirror
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