Oppn warns SP, BSP against siding with Govt in FDI debate

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI): Apprehending that Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party would bail out the United Progressive Alliance on Foreign direct investment in retail, Opposition in Lok Sabha on Wednesday warned these parties as also Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam that history will not pardon them if they sided with the government on the issue despite opposing it during the nationwide protest.

Among those who made a scathing attack on the government over the issue were members of the Janata Dal (United) , CPI(M), Biju Janata Dal, Shiv Sena and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

UPA ally Nationalist Congress Party, which is a major partner in Maharashtra government, suggested it was not completely on board regarding implementation of FDI in retail, with its leader Praful Patel saying the state's Coordination Committee will assess its impact as it did not want small retailers to be hurt.

But at the same time, he rejected the Opposition contention that FDI was bad for the country.

Participating in the discussion on the issue, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said “history will not pardon you (Congress) if you implement this measure. I am telling this also to those who were with us in the 'Bharat Bandh',” called by the entire Opposition, including Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party in September to protest allowing of FDI in multi-brand retail. Looking at SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav sitting in the front row, he recalled that SP, BSP and DMK were “with us” during the nationwide protest and said that 85 per cent of the people would be adversely affected by the move.

“Sit over it again, have more consultations and roll back the measure. If you do not roll back, then we will roll back your government..... You can win this battle but not the war,” Yadav said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath was seen sitting with the SP chief for some time during the discussion while Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy was seen chatting with BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan.

Castigating Union Minister Kapil Sibal for saying that ”allowing FDI in retail would check inflation”, the JD(U) leader said Sibal had “x-rayed his government by saying that the decline in GDP, industrial production or exports will be checked only through FDI as if this is the only medicine for all ills, as if it is the only way to retrieve the situation.”

Observing that successive governments had given slogans like 'Garibi Hatao', 'India Shining' or 'Aam Aadmi', Yadav said, “Not one of them favoured the farmers or the working class. Even our freedom did not provide much succour to the downtrodden.” Warning of more agitations against FDI in retail, senior CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia said while the Left has been consistent in opposing the move, the government has been ”inconsistent throughout”.

“The Prime Minister, as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha earlier, had written a letter opposing it. Congress leader P R Dasmunsi had termed it 'anti-national' in this very House. We have been consistent, you are not,” he said.

Reminding that the government had said FDI in the pharma sector would bring international expertise and capital, he said the situation today was that “MNCs have taken over Indian companies and the prices of essential medicines have shot up.”

He said the government had also brought in seed company Monsanto, saying agriculture productivity would improve.

“But maximum suicides by farmers have taken place where it went and in ten years, Monsanto earned Rs 35,000-40,000 crore in profits.”

Quoting American studies against Walmart and such other multi-brand retail chains, the CPI(M) leader said there would be wide variations in what the farmers would get for their produce and the price it is sold to the customer “as has happened in several countries including the US”.

He asked whether FDI in retail would increase employment, bring in new technology or improve exports and asserted, “We will take this battle to the streets. Wherever you try to implement this plan, we will protest. We will not allow Walmart to come in.”

India has a knack of producing Mir Jafars in different ages.

When Alexander invaded India, the King of Taxila, played that part. He colluded with Alexander to defeat King Porus.

Fortunately, Alexander's health did not permit him to go down further and he had to return and died in Egypt on the way to Greece.

Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur, commonly known as Mir Jafar, second son of Sayyid Ahmad Najafi, (1691–February 5, 1765) was the Nawab of Bengal (Bengal, Bihar and Orissa).

He was the first Nawab of the Najafi dynasty after deceiving Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah. His rule is widely considered the start of British rule in India and was a key step in eventual British domination of the country.

His lust to become Nawab of Bengal led him to make a secret pact with Robert Clive and surrender to slaughter the Army of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey, withholding his division from the fighting.

Thus the British won the battle and established their rule in India. For this act the word "Mir Jafar" is now synonymous with "traitor" and he has been infamously called Gaddar-e-Abrar ("Betrayer of the true Faith") in Hindi and Urdu.

Now, it seems, the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj paty and the DMK are playing the part of Mir Jafar. Of course, there is no point in mentioning the Congress party. They have been Mir Jafars all along.

Out of 120 crores people, they cannot find an Indian to lead their party. They have to depend on one family and that too a foreigner.