Rajya Sabha is to take up to discussion on FDI in multi brand retail today under the rule that entails voting.
Meanwhile, the UPA Government has won the vote on motion against FDI in multibrand retail in the Lok Sabha yesterday. The voting came after two days of intense debate under rule 184. The motion brought by Opposition parties was defeated by a margin of 35 votes as 218 members voted in favour of the motion while 253 against it. The discussion was initiated by BJP leader Sushma swaraj. Ahead of the voting, members belonging to the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which are supporting the UPA from outside, stayed away from voting by staging a walkout. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, announced the result.
The Lok Sabha also rejected the Motion moved by Saugata Roy of Trinamool Congress for amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Act,( FEMA) with 254 members opposing the motion and 224 in favour. Another motion on FEMA regulations was withdrawn by independent member Hasan Khan.
Hailing the rejection of the motion, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said, the decision on FDI in retail has won the approval of the House.
Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma clarified that the decision has to be taken by the Chief Ministers themselves whether FDI in retail may be allowed in their states. He said every state has the right and no one can deprive the right of an elected Government to take important decisions.
Responding to Anand Sharma's reply, Leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj said, the Motion could be defeated only because, the parties who took part in the Bharat bandh against FDI, and also spoke against it in the House chose to abstain.
Talking to reporters outside the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamalnath said, the BJP has been exposed and its brand of politics has been defeated.
Refuting the BJP allegations that the Government had used the CBI pressure to win over BSP and SP support, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said, the opposition motion has been defeated and presitigious institutions like CBI should not be belittled.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, the decision will strengthen the economy of the country. He said reform and pragmatism have won over ideological blinkers.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh alleged that the Government has neglected the interest of farmers and small traders by deciding on FDI in multi-brand retail. Talking to reporters after his party MPs staged a walkout of the Lok Sabha ahead of the voting on the motion, he said, interest of five crore small traders and 20 crore farmers and their families were sacrificed by the Government's decision.
