BSP announces support for government on FDI

New Delhi : The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will vote in favour of the Congress-led UPA government on the issue of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, party chief Mayawati told the Rajya Sabha Thursday.

The BSP supremo was taking part in the two-day debate in the upper house on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. Voting on the discussion shall be Friday.

Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was briefly adjourned as Mayawati accused the BJP of targeting her party over its stance on FDI in multi-brand retail and said the main opposition party’s stance was like a “fox” who cannot reach grapes and terms them sour.

When the house resumed after a 10-minute break, she declared: “The BSP has decided to vote in favour of the government.”

In the Lok Sabha, the BSP had walked out of the house shortly before voting was held Wednesday on the same issue after a two-day debate. The BSP walkout helped the ruling United Progressive Alliance in defeating the opposition-sponsored motion.

Earlier, before the Rajya Sabha was adjourned, the BJP members strongly protested to Mayawati’s remarks against them. They alleged that she was not speaking on the motion concerning FDI for which she had been allotted time.

Mayawati mentioned about references in the Lok Sabha about UPA government’s alleged misuse of CBI to influence the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP).

Chairman Hamid Ansari assured the members that any unparliamentary word will not go on record.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath supported Mayawati saying that the simile of “grapes being sour” had been used many times in debates and was “not unparliamentary”.

Mayawati also accused the BJP of using CBI to foist cases against her.