This Article is From Sep 16, 2012

FDI in retail: Left calls 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on September 20

FDI in retail: Left calls 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on September 20
Kolkata: A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's protest rally in Kolkata, the Left Front today called for a 12-hour strike in West Bengal on September 20 to oppose the Centre's decisions to introduce Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in multi-brand retail and hike the prices of diesel.

"The government is making a false claim that oil companies are facing losses. ONGC, Bharat petroleum, Hindustan petroleum are making profits and not losses. So, there is no reason for increase in the prices of oil. This will increase inflation and prices of all commodities," CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said in a press conference today in Kolkata.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) also plans to hold a countrywide protest on September 20; so does the Samajwadi Party and some others.

Senior BJP leader LK Advani yesterday said it would be wise for the government to not wait till 2014 for the people to give their verdict on its functioning. "Let them call for an early election. Let the people make a decision," he said.

He said political parties and the chief ministers were not consulted by the government before making policy announcements.

"This is something which the country is not going to take lying down...It is betrayal of Parliament, people and thousands of traders in the country," Mr Advani said.

The BJP had earlier said on Saturday that all its state governments were opposed to FDI in multi-brand retail, and would oppose the decision.

It also asked Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress to withdraw support to the government if they were opposed to the decisions on the diesel price hike and FDI in multi-brand retail.

(With inputs from IANS)

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