Patna, Sep 27 (ANI): Taking a jibe at the ruling UPA Government over difference of opinion among the allies over the decision to bring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday said the ruling coalition will continue to get weaker if they come up with such anti-people policies.
"The UPA coalition is gradually becoming weaker. The difference of opinion within the UPA allies is now coming to the fore. If they adopt this kind of anti-people policies, then they will definitely not be on the same side of the table," said Karat.
Karat said that his party would intensify the movement against FDI in retail and all the anti-people measures taken by the government.
"Our party and the other Left Parties will now strengthen the movement taking into consideration the issues of the common man. We will see when there will be a question of a political alternative, but the present condition is not as such," he added.
Karat further said the Parliament's suggestion should be taken on FDI in retail because majority of political parties are opposed to the move.
"We will hold discussions with other political parties on how to pin down the government on this issue," he added.
The CPI (M) leader had earlier this month lashed out at the Congress-led UPA Government for going ahead with its decision to implement the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail without taking the mandate of the Parliament.
Karat said Congress Party had not mentioned one word about FDI in retail in its election manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
He said that it was suggested by different parties that the Government should not go ahead with the FDI in retail, unless there was a political consensus.
" There is no change there. In fact, within the UPA, some major allies have opposed the decision," he said.
Asserting that the majority in Parliament are against multi-brand retail in FDI, Karat said the government, therefore, has no right or mandate to proceed with FDI in multi-brand retail.
The Congress-led UPA Government appears to be in trouble as of now in the backdrop of Mamata Banerjee-Trinamool Congress pulling out of the UPA Government.
Trinamool Congress, the second biggest constituent of the UPA with 19 MPs, dealt a major blow to the Manmohan Singh Government when it decided to withdraw its support on the issue of petroleum price hike, FDI in retail and corruption.
The TMC's decision brings the UPA's effective strength in the 545-seat Lok Sabha from 273 to 254, which is slightly below the halfway mark.
This move has made the Congress-led UPA Government more dependent on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), both of which extend outside legislative support to the UPA regime. (ANI)