Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi today threw his weight behind Mamata Banerjee saying the West Bengal Chief Minister was right in opposing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.

“What Mamata Banerjee said to the Central Government was right, and our Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) also opposes FDI in multi-brand retail and other sectors as it would affect the lives of crores of people in the country,” Marandi told presspersons here.

Marandi, who headed a BJP-led government in Jharkhand between 2000 and 2002, said, “The policies of the Congress and the BJP are anti-people.”

He also demanded a probe into 27 recommendations made by the State to the Centre for coal blocks between 2005 and 2008.

“There were 14 recommendations for coal block allocation by the Arjun Munda Government between 2005 and 2006 and 13 during the Madhu Koda regime between 2006 and 2008. All the recommendations should be investigated. One can find these recommendations in the report of the Income-Tax department,” he said.

He said an investigation into these recommendations was necessary following the CAG report projecting a presumptive loss of Rs 1.86 lakh in allocation of coal blocks.