New Delhi, November 29: Alleging that the UPA Government is not at all interested in running of the two House of Parliament, the BJP today wondered at the timing of the decision of the Cabinet nod for allowing 51 per cent Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand Retail. Leaders of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley told newspersons that the Houses could function if the Government were to roll back its FDI decision and allow discussions on Adjournment Motions on price hike and black money as proposed by them yesterday. They alleged that at the All Party Meeting convened by Lok Sabha Leader of the House and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee this morning even parties like Trinamool Congress, DMK and Muslim Leage which were part of the Government were not willing to stand by the decision on Retail and questioned the timing of the decision. When the first week of Parliament itself was washed out unable to arrive at a consensus on the issues like price rise, corruption and black money, where was the need for messing up things bringing in FDI, Ms Swaraj asked. She said Mr Mukherjee at the meeting heard the views expressed by all parties but gave no assurances saying that he would convey the feelings expressed by the parties to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party. Instead of Mr Mukherjee holding the all party meeting, propriety demanded that the PM himself convene the meeting , she said adding that the Government had not come back to the parties after the meeting. The way things were going in inside the Houses, her fears that the Government is not interested in smooth running of Parliament were only being confirmed. Opposition wants the Houses to function but the Government is only interested in buying time, she said. Asked if there could be some understanding on the language of adjournment motion on FDI, she retorted We are not in the negotiating table . Answering questions about the BJP-led NDA itself agreeing for allowing multi-brand retail during the Vajpayee regime, Mr Jaitley said that all the manifestoes since the birth of the BJP were opposed to allowing FDI in retail. Only in the Vision Document of the BJP in 2004, the party had spoken of supporting retail sector but was opposed to FDI in the sector. The 2009 manifesto was totally against FDI in retail and that is the latest position of the party, Mr Jaitley and Ms Swaraj said.
—-Agencies