In a bid to buy peace in parliament, the Indian government on Monday said a final decision on the FDI issue will be taken only after consulting stakeholders and the opposition which insisted on a complete rollback and not just holdback.
With the government in a bind and parliament paralysed for nearly two weeks, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke to the leader of opposition in lok sabha Sushma Swaraj and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and informed them that the government is willing to hold back the decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.
Both Swaraj and Yechury suggested that government convene an all-party meeting to convey its decision and then inform parliament.
"I told Pranab that he should pick up the threads where they were left the last time. Since he had promised to get back to the opposition in the last all-party meeting, a similar meeting should be convened on December 7 in the morning where the government can clarify its stand," Swaraj told PTI.
BJP has made it clear that it wanted a complete rollback of government's decision on FDI. "BJP has clearly stated in the all-party meeting that it wants a rollback. Let the government come out with a formal response," party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.
"We continue to stick to our demand of unconditional reversal of the decision on FDI. Mukherjee told us that government has decided to put the decision of FDI in suspension and wanted the Parliament session to continue," Yechury later said.
However, this did not convince Swaraj and Yechury and both insisted that an all-party meeting be called where the government can formally convey its view.
"On that basis, a decision can be taken," Yechury said.
Sources in both the BJP and the Left parties insisted that since there are differences within the union cabinet as well as in Congress on the FDI issue, such informal communication may not be the last word.
UPA allies TMC and DMK have openly opposed the decision while NCP has suggested that the government should go by the sense of the house on this matter.
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FM to oppn: FDI decision on hold, will consult you
Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday told opposition leaders, including Sushma Swaraj and Sitaram Yechury, that the decision on allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail was being put on hold and a final decision will be taken only after consulting all opposition parties.
"The government is willing to keep the decision in suspension. It will take a final decision only after consultations with all opposition parties and the stakeholders," sources said after Mukherjee spoke to Swaraj, leader of the opposition in lok sabha and Communist Party of India(M) MP Yechury Monday morning.
Swaraj is believed to have told Mukherjee that the government should come out with a statement on the issue, which has created a logjam in parliament for several days now.
Yechury is understood to have told the finance minister that an all-party meeting be convened before the next sitting of parliament on Wednesday during which the parties could be informed about the decision.
An announcement could then be made in parliament, the sources said, adding that the all-party meeting could be held on Wednesday morning before the proceedings begin.
Mukherjee had last week told an all-party meeting, which had asked the government to reverse the FDI decision, that he would get back to them after he consulted the prime minister and the union cabinet which had taken the decision.
Yechury is understood to have told Mukherjee monday that it would be in fitness of things that all political parties are informed about keeping the decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in retail in abeyance.
The opposition, however, is still firm on having a discussion in parliament on major issues like price rise and blackmoney under rules which entail voting, the sources said.
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FDI issue: Pranab to brief CPP meet on Wednesday
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will address a meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party on Wednesday in the backdrop of the move to put on hold the decision allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.
This will be Mukherjee's second briefing to the CPP during the current session of Parliament which has remained paralysed on the FDI and several other issues since it began on November 22.
Mukherjee, who is the Leader of the Lok Sabha, has already told opposition leaders that the decision on allowing FDI in retail was being put on hold and a final decision will be taken only after consulting all opposition parties, sources said.
Mukherjee had earlier told Congress MPs that FDI in retail was one of the measures that could help bring down prices by checking the huge differences between the farm-gate prices of products and their wholesale and retail prices.In the one-hour long briefing, Mukherjee had apprised the party members in detail about the steps taken by the government to check the outflow of blackmoney to tax havens abroad.
Meanwhile, Congress has issued a three-line whip to its members in Lok Sabha asking them to be present during proceedings on December 7 and 8.
Parliament sources said this has been done not for any particular issue but keeping in view the possibility of some "important business".
Cong issues whip to LS members
Congress has issued a three-line whip to its members in lok sabha asking them to be present during proceedings on December 7 and 8.
Parliament sources said this has been done not for any particular issue but keeping in view the possibility of some "important business".
The development has come at a time when parliament has remained paralysed for the last nine days on several issues including over FDI in retail.
The opposition has been demanding a rollback of the FDI decision and has been pressing for an adjournment motion on the issue so a censure the government.
Logjam has prevailed in Parliament despite government's efforts to placate its allies - DMK and Trinamool Congress - whose members vociferously protesting the FDI move.
The two Houses will now meet on Wednesday. The current session is slated to conclude on December 22.
