Deadlock
over government's decision to allow FDI in retail paralysed Parliament
for the fourth day today, with a united opposition joined by UPA
partners Trinamool Congress and DMK, disrupting proceedings demanding a
rollback of the controversial decision.
With formal and back-channel talks between government leaders and their opposition counterparts failing to make any breakthrough, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned within minutes of assembly and then for the day. |
| . |
The
Winter session, which began last Tuesday, has not transacted virtually
any business, as logjam over several issues, including price rise,
corruption and black money, demand for a separate Telangana and safety
of the Mullaperiyar dam, continued through seven working days.
The opposition parties have made it clear that they would not allow Parliament to function till the government heeds to their demands - either a rollback of the decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail and 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail or acceptance of their adjournment motion on the issue under rules which entail voting. After the first adjournment during Question Hour, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till tomorrow amid uproar created by vociferous opposition members and MPs of Trinamool Congress and DMK raising slogans, with many of them moving into the Well. Some members of the ruling Congress as also of the TDP in the Lok Sabha waved placards demanding creation of a separate Telangana state. Trinamool Congress members were seen waving placards and raising slogans against government's FDI decision, while TDP, CPI-M and Shiv Sena members rushed to the Well raising slogans. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, 'We want a discussion in Parliament on our adjournment motion on FDI in retail. Why is Government running away from a discussion followed by a vote in the House?' The decision on FDI in retail has put the UPA government in a fix. While the party appeals to the Opposition to let Parliament run, it has also been making efforts to solve differences within the party over the issue. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee briefed Congress MPs on the government's stand on FDI on Wednesday. But the government is unlikely to agree to an adjournment motion after the Prime Minister defended the decision to allow FDI in retail. Earlier, Law Minister Salman Khurshid claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is open for a dialogue on the issue and appealed to the Opposition to let Parliament function. 'Sanjay Singh was speaking his mind, we should appreciate democracy in our party. The Prime Minister was right about the nuclear deal and we went ahead, but he always open to ideas,' Khurshid said. BJP leader SS Ahluwalia also said that they haven't received any word from the government on a possible rollback in the decision to allow FDI in retail. |