Key UPA ally Trinamool Congress today opposed the Government’s decision to open up the retail sector to FDI, but insisted that it was not breaking the norms of the ruling alliance by doing so.
“It is a coalition government and not the rule of a single party. We are opposing this decision but not breaking any norms of alliance. We have a right to protest such decisions,” the Minister of State for Health, Mr Sudip Bandopadhyay, told reporters after leading a protest inside Parliament on the issue.
Maintaining that the party would oppose the move “when it comes to Parliament”, he said the Railway Minister, Mr Dinesh Trivedi, “has already registered his dissent in the Cabinet meeting yesterday”. The Union Cabinet yesterday decided to allow 51 per cent FDI in the retail sector.
Mr Bandopadhyay, who was re-elected leader of the party in Lok Sabha, said the move would adversely affect a cross-section of people like shopkeepers, farmers and transporters.
“Initially, the big bosses (multi-brand retailers) will buy goods and keep them in the godowns. After 3-4 years, they will dictate terms on our prices when they have sufficient stocks. They will also sell cheap India goods outside India,” he said.