New Delhi: The Opposition on Wednesday dismissed the government`s Lok Sabha win on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail as "victory of the CBI over FDI", targeting the SP and BSP over their respective walkouts.
The Opposition motion against FDI in retail was defeated in the lower house with the UPA garnering 253 votes against the Opposition`s 218 votes.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi said it was a victory of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Both Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, who walked out of the Lok Sabha ahead of the voting, have CBI cases against them.
"It was all by arrangement... This is a victory of CBI not FDI," said Joshi.
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who spoke forcefully against allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, said the motion`s defeat "is a moral victory for us".
Targeting the BSP and SP for its walkout, she said: "The people who gave speeches with us but voted with them, it exposes the difference between their words and actions. They have supported FDI indirectly," she said.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandhyopadyay said: "It`s not a victory for the Congress but a defeat because it shows they are much behind the majority mark. It shows once again that the government is in minority. The SP and BSP helped the government, they have helped earlier as well. But the Congress should not be overwhelmed with their support."
Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta termed it a "defeat of the government as it has no majority in the house. It got the people absented in the house under influence," adding "making a deliberate attempt to make people absent is a criminal offence."
RSP`s Prashant Kumar Majumdar said: "The government managed to win the vote on FDI due to CBI phobia. The SP and BSP who spoke against FDI in the house have been exposed by walking out from a vote."
SUCi`s Tarun Mandal said: "The speaker did not allow smaller parties to speak in favour of the motion."
Janata Dal-United leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in Patna that FDI in multi-brand retail is neither good for farmers nor for people of the country.
"Farmers and people are not going to be benefited by the FDI in multi brand retail. Small shopkeepers will be badly hit and it will create more unemployment," Nitish Kumar said, adding that the UPA was "hell bent on bringing FDI in multi brand retail to make MNCs happy".
IANS
