Chennai, Oct 5 (ANI): Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi on Friday said that her party would continue to protest against the Congress-led UPA Government's move to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.
"The leader (Karunanidhi) has made it very clear what our stand is. We have to protect our traders; that is what the DMK's stand is and we continue with the stand the leader has taken," she told mediapersons here.
Exerting pressure on the UPA Government, DMK chief Karunanidhi had earlier on Monday said that his party would support any resolution moved by the opposition in Parliament against FDI in retail.
The DMK's executive committee, at an emergency meeting in Chennai earlier on Monday, also passed a resolution demanding that the Centre reconsider its decision.
The DMK is the second largest constituent in the UPA alliance with 18 MPs. It has, however, refused to fall in line with Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee's request to pull out of the ruling coalition.
Karunanidhi had earlier said his party would like to help keep communal forces out of power.
"Our relationship with the Congress will not be affected over these issues," he said, when asked to comment on why the DMK was supporting the UPA government though it was opposed to several issues, including the recent hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG cylinders.
Karunanidhi claimed his party had conveyed its views on various issues to the central government.
He hoped that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh would review the recent economic decisions that were affecting the common man.
"Our concern is about addressing people's issues. We are hopeful he (Manmohan Singh) will give them further thought," he said.
The TMC, the biggest partner of the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, had earlier pulled out over big-ticket economic reforms, reducing coalition to a minority government and bringing even more instability to an already volatile political landscape.
The government took some decisions earlier, including the hike in diesel price, cap the supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to six per household in a year and approving 51 percent Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in multi-brand retail.
Trinamool Congress, which has 19 members in the Lok Sabha, withdrew support to the Congress-led UPA Government and pulled out its six ministers from the government on September 21 after being disappointed with the announcement by the government of new reforms (ANI)