SENIOR POLITICIANS of different parties blow whistle of agitation against FDI in Retail

New Delhi, January 15, 2013: At a Press Conference held today at New Delhi held by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), several senior leaders of different political parties for the first time addressed media jointly on any issue and by blowing the whistle launched an aggressive nationwide campaign against FDI in Retail Trade. 

Senior BJP Leader Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, NDA Convenor Sharad Yadav, Senior CPI Leader A. B. Bardhan and other leaders termed the FDI in Retail as a sinister design to mortgage Indian Markets, Farming Land, Livelihood of labourers and hawkers and future of small industries and transporters at the hands of global retailers. They called upon the nation to register strongest protest in the larger interest of the country.

They made it clear that either the government should withdraw the notification else they are determined to support the joint national movement of farmers, hawkers, traders and other sectors of retail trade.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal while addressing the Press Conference declared that on forthcoming  March 7, a "Protect Retail Democracy Maharally" will be held in the Delhi which will be joined by people from all over the Country in large numbers and leaders of all political parties who are opposing FDI in Retail will be invited to participate in the rally. " Now this issue has been linked with the votes and whichever political party supporting the FDI in Retail will be opposed even at polling booth level by retail stakeholders to impress upon people not to vote for them", said Khandelwal.

He informed that from now onwards an aggressive campaign has been launched by farmers, hawkers, small industries, traders, transporters, labour unions, consumers and cooperatives. Before rally of March 7 in Delhi we propose to hold at least 500 Sampark Yatra, more than 100 Chaupal Charcha, about 500 demonstrations, sit-in, effigy burning and other democratic tools of protests. A specially designed "cartoon campaign" will also be launched all over the Country. Round Table Conference, all Party meets, Seminars and Symposiums will also be held in different states of the Country.

Addressing the media, senior BJP leader Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi said that the manner in which the Government is misleading the nation on this issue is nothing short of betrayal and therefore the Government has lost morals in continuing at the office. In very plain words he declared that in forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, if NDA is voted to power, first it will reject the notification of the current government. He also made it clear that the issue is still in the Parliament as the amendments proposed by the Reserve Bank in rules of FEMA Act are yet to be passed by the Rajya Sabha and till such time, the notification is merely a piece of paper. He urged all political parties to lend their support to Maharally on 7th March at Delhi and by participating in the same give a wide message to the Government and the nation that " discretionary rule" will never be allowed in a democratic country.

Janta Dal (U) President and NDA Convener Sharad Yadav while taking the Government to the task said that under the pressure of big Corporate and global retailers, the Government is throwing legs on the stomach of crores of people in the country but now the time has come when people will use their legs to throw out the Government. The Government is propagating false and baseless advantages in order to sell its decision and playing with the people of the country which will never be tolerated now. He urged all political parties to join hands together and by supporting the movement make it as a "peoples movement". He said that unity amongst the political parties on this issue is unprecedented and when there is a collective voice from leaders of different ideology, the revolution takes birth.

Senior CPI leader A. B. Bardhan said that our fight on this issue does not end with a vote in the Parliament rather now it will be more intensified and we will be on roads till such decision is not withdrawn. The government has to pay for its lapses. He regretted that people educated in foreign countries reading foreign reports are preparing the economic policies which are in real terms are "anarth policy" which has caused enough damage to the economy. The move of snatching small money from small people and handing over the same to a few big corporate will never be accepted even at the cost of filling the jails. He hoped that leaders who committed a mistake in Lok Sabha will not repeat the same in Rajya Sabha. Obviously he was referring to Mulayam Singh, Mayawati and DMK.

The leaders at the press conference led their full support to 7th March Maharally in Delhi and made a joint appeal to make it a great success.