By IANS,
New Delhi : Upping the ante against the beleaguered Manmohan Singh government, the opposition NDA Tuesday decided to explore the possibility of a no-trust motion in the winter session of parliament in consultation with other political parties over its policy on foreign investment in retail sector.
At a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani here, the largest opposition group in the house also decided to move a resolution in parliament under voting provisions against the government’s policy on foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail sector.
“The NDA would consult all the political parties to explore the possibility of a no-confidence motion against this (United Progressive Alliance) government,” a statement, issued on behalf of the alliance after the meeting, said.
“The NDA believes that this government has failed on all the fronts and time has come for it to go,” it said.
“The NDA will move a resolution under voting provisions seeking to disapprove the government’s decision and urging the government to withdraw this decision (allowing FDI in retail),” it added.
The meeting recalled that on Dec 7 last year, the UPA government had assured both the houses of parliament that a decision to bring in FDI in retail would remain in abeyance till a consensus was arrived at after consultation with political parties and state governments.
“The government has violated this solemn assurance give to both the houses of parliament,” the statement said.
The NDA also appealed to all political parties which supported the all-India shutdown in September against the decision to bring FDI in retail to cooperate in the disapproval of the decision.
The meeting was attended among others by leaders of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, respectively, Janata Dal United’s Sharad Yadav and Shivanand Tiwari, Shiv Sena’s Ananth Geete, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Naresh Gujral and a representative of Haryana Janhit Congress.
The UPA government, which had kept the FDI decision taken last December in abeyance, decided in September to implement it following which its ally Trinamool Congress of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee quit the alliance and the government.