Lucknow: BJP leader Uma Bharti on Friday
threatened to set on fire Walmart store wherever it opens in
the country to register her party's protest against allowing
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail.
"By giving permission to Walmart to directly invest in
the retail sector, the Centre has jeopardised the employment
opportunities of Dalits, poor and backwards," she told
reporters here.
"I would personally set afire the showroom when it opens
anywhere in the country and I am ready to be arrested for the
act," Bharti said, condemning the decision of the Union
cabinet to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail and 100
per cent FDI in single-brand retail.
She said that she had apprised BJP president Nitin
Gadkari of her plan of action.
Meanwhile, commenting on her remarks, CPI MP Gurudas
Dasgupta said, "This is crazy talk...this is not the way...
Having been a member of Parliament, can she speak like this?"
Bharti also ventilated her strong displeasure against
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and accused them
of "shedding crocodile tears" in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and
expressing "fake anger".
"I too feel angry at the Central and state governments,"
she said.
If Rahul was really concerned over the plight of dalits,
poor and backwards he should ask the Prime Minister to prevent
the arrival of Walmart, she said.
"Economic liberalisation has snatched employment
opportunities of about 90 per cent of the poor people and
benefited only 10 per cent," Bharti said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 25, 2011, 18:18