By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh needs to announce in parliament whether the government is keeping the decision to allow foreign equity in retail on hold, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta said Saturday.
“I cannot comment. Let the government announce it. How do I know what is the official position,” Dasgupta said, reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement that the central government has decided to keep the decision on hold.
“It was the decision by the central government that has to be announced by the prime minister on the floor of parliament,” he told CNN-IBN news channel.
Asked whether the decision to hold the move to allow 51 percent foreign equity in retail was due to pressure from allies, Dasgupta said: “Don’t say there was pressure from allies alone… it was from the entire country.”
Nearly half of parliament’s 21-day-long winter session has been lost to protests mainly over foreign equity in retailing. The Congress allies, both Trinamool Congress and DMK, have also been opposing the move.
Speaking to media persons in Kolkata, Banerjee said the government’s decision had been communicated to her by union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
“I had telephonic conversations with him (Mukherjee) twice today (Saturday). He has told me that the centre has decided to suspend implementation of the decision to allow FDI in retail. He has told me that the decision will not be implemented unless there was consensus on the issue,” Banerjee said.