New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The political upheaval over FDI in retail failed to subside today despite an all-party meeting, with a united opposition, joined by UPA constituents Trinamool Congress and DMK, stalling proceedings by remaining adamant on their demand for a rollback.

No business was transacted in either Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha as trouble started as soon as the Houses met for the day.

Earlier, an all-party meeting convened by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee over the FDI issue resulted in a failure with opposition demanding nothing short of rollback.

However, Mukherjee told them that no decision in this regard could be taken without consulting the Union Cabinet, which had approved allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail last week.

'FDI wapas lo, Sansad chalao' (Revoke FDI decision, run Parliament) was the refrain of the opposition inside and outside Parliament, which has virtually not transacted any business since the Winter Session began last Tuesday.

It was trouble from the beginning in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha over the FDI issue, as also a range of demands including separate Telangana and safety of Mullaperiyar dam.

Two key constituents of the UPA - Trinamool Congress and DMK - also joined the opposition to protest against the government's decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail. Trinamool members were seen in the aisle shouting 'Cancel FDI in retail'.

Both Houses were first adjourned as soon as they assembled at 1100 hours and again after they reassembled at noon as members from BJP, TRS, Left parties and others trooped into the Well.

Many of the members carried placards saying 'Withdraw decision to open retail sector to FDI, 'Introduce separate Telangana Bill' and 'Save people of Kerala, ensure Mullaperiyar Dam's safety'.

Congress members from the Telangana region raised slogans from the aisle carrying placards, while TRS MPs came into the Well demanding creation of separate Telangana state.

At the all-party meeting, Mukherjee tried to resolve the logjam over the FDI issue telling an unrelenting opposition it would discuss the demand for a rollback with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

The opposition parties, led by BJP and the Left, stuck to their stand and demanded rollback of the Cabinet decision on the issue.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Rajya Sabha as Opposition members began shouting slogans against the FDI decision even before Chairman Hamid Ansari took his seat.

"FDI vapas lo, vapas lo," they shouted as Ansari took up the first listed question.

Virtually no business could be transacted as the entire Opposition supported by Trinamool Congress protested seeking rollback of FDI in retail.

BJP, BSP, JD-U and AIADMK members shouted slogans demanding withdrawal of the decision to allow FDI in retail, while Left MPs from Kerala moved into the aisles displaying banners highlighting the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam.

Barely couple of minutes into the din, Ansari adjourned the House till noon.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House re-assembled at noon and Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan adjourned it for the day.

PM convenes all-party meeting for end Parl logjam

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened an all-party meeting tomorrow to end the Parliament logjam over FDI in retail, as another key UPA ally DMK today lent fresh political muscle to swelling opposition to Government's decision.

Posing problems to the UPA, DMK joined Trinamool Congress to demand that the Government immediately withdraw the decision of opening up the retail sector to 51 per cent FDI.

Upping the ante, NDA Convenor and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav and BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the question of allowing Parliament to function does not arise till government reverses the decision.

"Rollback FDI in retail and (you can) run the House," BJP's Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition told the Government in remarks suggesting that a resolution of the Parliament stalemate could be difficult. Sushma said the Prime Minister has called an all-party meeting at 9.30 AM tomorrow.

Government on its part sought to reach out to MPs and Chief Ministers and appealed to them to rise above "petty" partisanship on the issue.

"I felt it is my duty to dispel some apprehensions expressed by certain political parties," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said in his letter to members of the two Houses of Parliament which was deadlocked on the FDI issue for the second day today.

Breaking his silence on the issue, DMK supremo and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi called as "dangerous" the FDI decision and said it cannot be justified and demanded that Government withdraw the decision.

Stepping up the Trinamool offensive to the delight of the opposition which has closed ranks, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) in retail would not be implemented in the state.

"We will not allow 51 per cent FDI in retail in West Bengal. It will affect the livelihood of about five crore people," she said in Howrah.

Odisha Chief Miniser and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik dubbed the Government's decision as 'highly regressive' and 'ill advised' and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to withdraw the measure.

"In our considered view, this policy is ill advised and highly regressive. I would, therefore, earnestly request you to reconsider the matter and withdraw this policy immediately," Patnaik said in Bhubaneswar.

The Left parties too demanded that the Government must first rescind the FDI decision before any discussion can be held in Parliament.

Trinamool Congress parliamentary party leader Sudeep Bandopadhay questioned the purpose of the all-party meeting and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the FDI decision.

"Now they (government) have called for an all-party meeting on FDI. But what is the point when you have already decided. We want the FDI decision to be immediately withdrawn," he told reporters.

Elaborating on his opposition to FDI, Karunanidhi said in a statement,"it is dangerous to allow FDI in retail trade as it will affect lakhs of small traders as well as the poor and middle class consumers.

It will also be a cause for economic decline for our country. The DMK has sounded a note of warning in this regard in the Parliament."

The NDA charged that Commerce Minister Anand Sharma did not discuss the FDI issue with the opposition before going ahead with the plan.

"Anand Sharma has written to all that he has talked to the stakeholders before taking this decision. Who are these stakeholders. Government should have talked to the political parties," Sharad Yadav told reporters.

"The entire opposition, other than Shiromani Akali Dal, is demanding that FDI policy should be withdrawn," Yadav said.

Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) leader and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal however said his party will have a meeting and take a final decision on their stand on the FDI issue.

The Left parties while demanding the rollback said "there is no point in having a debate on FDI in retail when a decision has already been taken. So, the government should rescind the decision and then hold a discussion on it.

Maintaining that an executive decision on a "major policy matter" like FDI in the retail sector has never been taken in the past when Parliament was in session, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said, "They have not only bypassed Parliament, but it is a big provocation to make Parliament impotent."

Opposing the move, Vishwa Hindu Parishad said it would not allow any multi-national company to set up its facility on Indian soil.

"In case, any foreign company sets up its stall in India, VHP will lead a march of millions of people to raze the stall," VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia told reporters in Uttar Pradesh.

Togadia alleged that it was a conspiracy to snatch employment from 30 to 40 crore Indian farmers, traders and youths.

"Who will show interest in Indian products when Walmart will be here. We will produce rice but the rice from Pakistan will be sold here at cheaper rates. China's cheap cloths will dominate the Indian cloth industry," Togadia said.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan cabinet also discussed the Centre's decision to allow FDI in the retail sector.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, while talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, said that the state government was examining ways to benefit farmers and consumers of the state by the decision.

"We want that the decision should be implemented in such a way that people in all the sectors get benefited," he said.

SAD chief and Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal has supported FDI in the multi-brand retail, saying the move will bring vast expertise and resources of the foreign retailers.

In a letter to Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Badal had earlier said, "We strongly believe that opening FDI in multi-brand retail will bring in the expertise, experience and resources of foreign retailers."

"A major beneficiary of back-end investments would be farmers, who will gain substantially through agricultural best practices of international retail companies, thus improving the quality and quantity of their yield, and will also get better remuneration," he wrote.