Mamata gives govt 72 hrs to roll back FDI, diesel hike

Declaring "loot cholchhe loot (it's open looting)", Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Friday gave the UPA government 72 hours to roll back FDI in multi-brand retail and the hike in diesel prices.

While she has earlier said that she wanted the government to continue, being a "responsible ally", Mamata Friday said she could not support issues she was opposed to. In a late-night update on her Facebook page, she said: "We cannot support price hike on diesel and reduction in subsidised LPG cylinders. Today, a decision has been taken allowing FDI in retail sector... We cannot support anything that is against the interests of the poor and common people... We are very serious about these developments and ready to take hard decisions..."

She has called a meeting of her parliamentary party on Tuesday.

The UPA government's reading, however, is that the situation wouldn't come to a trust vote like it did in the case of the 2008 nuclear deal, and that despite their anger, allies weren't inclined to destabilise the government.

In a statement after the Cabinet meeting throwing open retail to FDI, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the steps would "bolster economic growth", "make India a more attractive destination for foreign investment", "strengthen growth process" and "generate employment".

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma underlined that opponents were free to take their own call, adding that they respected the TMC's position on multi-brand retailing. "The implementation has been left entirely to the decision and discretion of the states," he said.

TMC leaders admitted that her protests notwithstanding, Mamata may not destabilise the government as yet because the odds are not in her favour. In internal party meetings, those close to Mamata have been advising her that even if the TMC were to pull out of the UPA, some other parties (such as the Samajwadi Party, BSP) may end up saving the government, rendering the TMC irrelevant at the Centre.

... contd.

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