While speaking to mediapersons at India's northern holy city of Varanasi, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said on Tuesday (December 06) that the party never favoured the entry of foreign companies in the retail sector and demanded a roll back of the federal ruling Congress government's decision.
"The FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) is completely prohibited in our manifesto of 2009. We (BJP) have not backed the FDI in any manifesto. In 2004 also there was no manifesto of any party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was having a vision document in that also there wasn't any word in favour of FDI," said Joshi.
However, as per media reports, the BJP had proposed a similar policy in 2002 and has been leading the pack in opposing the decision in 2011 stating mass unemployment and losses to Indian traders amongst other reasons.
The proposal of introducing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country's $450 billion manufacturing sector has been facing stiff resistance from both the government's allies and opposition ever since the Manmohan Singh led federal government gave it a green signal, last month.
Meanwhile, Joshi also talked about the proposed anti-graft bill to combat corruption from the country.
The government's draft of the ambitious bill--that aims to root out the decades-old corruption from India's civil and democratic institutions--has faced widespread criticism from across the national socio-political spectrum for being too 'weak.'
Critics say it seeks to keep the Prime Minister, federal police, certain government employees, bureaucrats and judges out of the Ombudsman's purview, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the legislation.
Joshi stated that he would discuss the Indian government's version of the bill with his other party members and would soon come out with a decision and would demand the necessary changes that need to be made in it.
"The proposal that was passed in the parliament on ombudsman bill or public ombudsman bill, whatever name you would like to give to it, it must be formulated keeping in mind all those principles. So let us see with what version does the standing committee of the parliament comes out with and we will see what are the loopholes in it. Accordingly we will express our viewpoint and see to what extent can we go. Our viewpoint on this issue is clear," said the senior BJP leader.
Analysts believe that smooth passage of the government-drafted Ombudsman Bill will go a long way in boosting the image of the Congress party among a wide section of irate Indians sick of endemic graft.
Senior leader of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Murli Manohar Joshi says that his party has never mentioned in any of their manifestos that they are in favour of allowing foreign direct investment in the country's retail sector.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (DECEMBER 06, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)
1. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MURALI MANOHAR JOSHI, SENIOR LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP), SAYING:
"The FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) is completely prohibited in our manifesto of 2009. We (BJP) have not backed the FDI in any manifesto. In 2004 also there was no manifesto of any party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was having a vision document in that also there wasn't any word in favour of FDI."
2. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MURALI MANOHAR JOSHI, SENIOR LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP), SAYING:
"The proposal that was passed in the parliament on ombudsman bill or public ombudsman bill, whatever name you would like to give to it, it must be formulated keeping in mind all those principles. So let us see with what version does the standing committee of the parliament comes out with and we will see what are the loopholes in it. Accordingly we will express our viewpoint and see to what extent can we go. Our viewpoint on this issue is clear."
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