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Announcing a nation-wide agitation against the recent ‘reform’ decisions of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress was ready to bring a no-confidence motion against the Centre.
Taking the comments of UPA’s former second largest ally lightly, the Congress advised Banerjee to evolve from a ‘street fighter to a statesman’.
In an indication of what’s to come on the political stage, National Democratic Alliance convenor Sharad Yadav shared the dais with Banerjee in her much-publicised rally on Monday against FDI in retail and diesel price hike.
Banerjee said the UPA Government was likely to fall soon, paving the way for a general election by March.
She added that she would bring in a resolution against FDI in retail in the Winter Session of Parliament and will work with all parties to get it carried.
The Trinamool Congress has also decided to hold a series of protests in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and the North-East against the UPA Government.
Monday’s rally in Delhi saw a gathering mostly from Punjab and Haryana, and Banerjee’s address in Hindi gave rise to talk that she was trying to spread her wings in the North.
Meanwhile, support for the UPA Government dwindled further with the two-member Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) withdrawing support against what it called the Centre’s “anti-people policies”.
Congress Confident
However, Congress said no resolution could change the Government’s policy decisions. The party reiterated that the Government was not in minority. It said apprehensions of its allies would be resolved through mutual dialogue.
With the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party pledging support, the Congress has been maintaining that the UPA Government faces no political crisis.
PTI reports from Chennai:
On Retail FDI, DMK ‘will back’ Opposition
UPA’s second biggest partner, the DMK, today demanded reconsideration of the decision to allow FDI in the multi-brand retail sector and said it would back any Opposition-sponsored resolution that may be brought on the issue in Parliament.
“Allowing FDI in multi-brand retail in the name of economic reforms will spell doom for developing countries like India,” a resolution adopted at an emergency meeting of DMK Executive, chaired by its President M. Karunanidhi, said.
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