UPA's decision on FDI in retail to deflect attention from Chidambaram: BJP

The BJP today alleged that the UPA's decision on FDI in retail was meant to deflect attention from Home Minister P Chidambaram's involvement in the 2G scam.

Addressing a press conference here today, party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the BJP wanted the Parliament to function but had decided not to allow Chidambaram to speak in the house owing to his involvement in the 2G scam.

He said that the UPA government decided to allow FDI in retail as part of a strategy to avoid any debate on Chidambaram's involvement in the 2G scam.

Demanding rollback of the decision on FDI in retail, he said due to recession the world over, Walmart has no consumers. "Foreign companies consider India as their market and Congress is facilitating their entry. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's job is to worry about the aam aadmi here and not American and European companies," he stated adding Singh should explain under whose pressure the decision on FDI in retail was taken.

He said the prime minister chose to speak on FDI not in the Parliament or at the All-Party meeting, but at the Youth Congress meeting. "Is the Youth Congress more important than the Parliament or the All-Party meeting," he asked.

Stating that the Parliament logjam was due to the 'arrogance' of the Congress and not because of the BJP, he said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had called leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and put forth the government's proposals to ensure smooth functioning of the Parliament.

"Sushma Swaraj had told Mukherjee that all the proposals should be put before the All Party meeting on Wednesday. Mukherjee had heard us out at the last meeting and said that he would get back after conveying the sentiments of the parties to the prime minister. But, that did not happen," he said.