New Delhi: JD-U president Sharad Yadav on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his Independence Day address blaming lack of political consensus for the slow growth and his promise to do everything to boost the economy through investments.
"Through his address the Prime Minister meant to say that the market is not opening up enough for investors due to lack of political consensus. I express my happiness that Congress does not have the full majority, otherwise they would have allowed FDI in retail sector and destroyed more than 22 crore people, who are engaged in this sector," he said.
Yadav, who is also NDA convenor, said the Prime Minister is "mainly concerned with FDI in retail".
"That he is concerned and sad about it is reflected from his statement. There has been only destruction in the last 20 years of open market (since liberalisation)," he said.
Noting that the Prime Minister has used his Independence Day speech for stressing on foreign direct investment in retail sector, Yadav made it clear that his party will oppose FDI in retail tooth and nail.
He said there is "nothing new worth mentioning" in the Prime Minister`s speech and that Singh has mentioned the "same problems as were mentioned by late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru 65 years ago".
PTI
