Kolkata, Sep 20 (IANS) Accusing Trinamool Congress of double standards on the issue of retail FDI, West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose Thursday said the Mamata Banerjee-led party had argued in favour of the measure during last year's assembly polls .
"They are now opposing retail FDI... but during the 2011 assembly polls they argued in favour of retail FDI in their election manifesto. They have clearly stated that they want FDI in retail. So what they are saying now and what they have said earlier is synonymous," said Bose.
Earlier, Congress' state unit too cited Trinamool's manifesto to note that the Mamata Banerjee party had sought retail FDI.
"The Trinamool in its election manifesto during the 2011 elections asked for FDI in the state. Now they are opposing it," state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharjee.
Miffed over the twin "anti-people decisions" of diesel price hike and FDI in retail, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee Tuesday announced that her party was withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Bose demanded that the state government slash taxes on diesel prices to provide relief to the common man.
"In 2010, when Left Front was in power, we had reduced state tax on oil prices to provide relief to the masses. So why is the state government saying they can't do anything? They should also slash the state-level taxes. They used to demand the same thing when they were in the opposition," said Bose.
