JP to oppose FDI in multi-brand retail in next Parliament session

BJP on Thursday said it will take its fight against FDI in multi-brand retail to Parliament in the Winter session as the party feels the policy will hurt small traders and is being brought under foreign pressure.

BJP President Nitin Gadkari said, "It is being said that BJP is not spelling out its stand clearly on FDI in retail issue. We want to say FDI in retail will hurt the livelihood of the small trader.We will not allow FDI in multi-brand retail to come to India."

Gadkari was delivering the inaugural address of the BJP National Council Meet which began, a day after the party’s National Executive.

"Our leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley will raise this issue strongly in the next Parliament session. There should be no doubt about this," Gadkari said.

The BJP maintained that if multinationals like Walmart set up shop in India, fruits and vegetable sellers, and street vendors will be destroyed.

"We will fully oppose FDI in multi-brand retail.We had recently organised a Bharat Bandh on the issue and it was an unprecedented success," Gadkari said.

BJP has clarified that it is opposed to FDI in multi-brand retail whatever be its quantum.

The Union cabinet had recently decided to allow 51 per cent FDI in this sector.

"This decision has been taken under foreign pressure.The UPA government seems to be more concerned about the fate of Walmart. The Congress hand is not with the common man but is aimed at him," Gadkari alleged.

The main Opposition further alleged that FDI is being brought for votebank politics and to appease foreigners while continuing to stay in power through all means.

However, the party has also firmly sought to ward off notions in some sections that BJP is anti-reforms.The party has insisted that it is not against reforms but is firmly opposed to FDI in multi-brand retail.

Along with the small traders, the urban middle class also forms a core votebank of the BJP and is said to be in favour of FDI in multi-brand retail.

Though the party has also indicated strongly that it will scrap FDI in multi-brand retail when voted to power, a section within the BJP today said, preferring anonymity, that it would be difficult to reverse the decision.