'FDI in retail allowed at behest of corporates'

Darbhanga: BJP MP Kirti Azad on Sunday alleged that the UPA government has allowed 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail at the behest of corporates and said it "will ruin" the small traders.

"The UPA government was being run by the Congress party in collusion with foreign investors and corporates and the decision to allow FDI in retail was taken at the behest of these investors and corporates," he told reporters.

Azad, who represents Darbhanga parliamentary constituency, said that the FDI in multi-brand retail will "ruin business of crores of small traders and adversely affect livelihood of their families."

The BJP MP claimed the UPA government did not take its allies in confidence before taking a decision on the FDI in retail and said that vociferous opposition by the SP and the TMC to the decision proved that these parties were not consulted by the Central government on the issue.

Azad slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for giving 'tutored' defence of the government's decision on FDI in retail and said that the manner in which he has pushed the Indian economy on the brink confirmed that he was neither a successful politician nor a good economist.

Singh speaks only those things that are 'tutored' to him by his 'masters', he said referring to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The BJP MP also flayed the Centre's decision to ration subsidised LJP cylinders and said that six cylinders a year was inadequate for consumers.

PTI