New Delhi, Sep 16: With the row between the government and the opposition on FDI in multi-brand retail and diesel price hike escalating, JD-U today hit out at Prime Minister Minister Manmohan Singh, saying his government will have to go for this “dangerous venture”.
Claiming that the coordinated agitation by non-UPA parties against these policies on September 20 will culminate in the “ouster of this government”, party President Sharad Yadav expressed confidence that UPA constituent Trinamool Congress and outside supporters Samajwadi Party and Bahuhan Samaj Party will also not back the government on these measures.
Drawing parallels of the government's move with the Emergency, Yadav said that while Indira Gandhi had opened the locks put during the Emergency in 1975 after two years, “what Manmohan Singh is doing is trying to close the employment opportunities of crores of Indians and this lock cannot be opened once FDI in multi-brand retail is in.”
Targeting the Prime Minister, he said that Singh, who used to work for the World Bank, “should go back to the World Bank. So should Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. We do not need them”.
Yadav also appealed to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to “get rid of the Prime Minister, Ahluwalia and Finance Minister P Chidambaram” alleging that they are “contributing further in increasing the problem of hunger” in the country instead of solving the core problems.
Asked how sure was he of the support of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who had given on Friday a 72-hour ultimatum to the government on the issue, Yadav said,” She never gives fake threats”.
The JD-U chief said that the Opposition would not have been able to stall FDI in mutli-brand retail in the past as well had Banerjee not “backed” them in protests against the move.
“We would not have succeeded in stalling FDI in multi-brand retail in past as well had she not got involved in stopping it with all the strength then,” Yadav said. SP, along with a number of other non-UPA parties including BJP, have decided to hold coordinated agitational programmes on September 20 against these measures.
