How govt blacked out Brand Anna by FDI in multi-brand retail

New Delhi, Nov 30: Both Houses of the Parliament (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha) have been adjourned for the seventh day on Wednesday, Nov 30. The ruckus in the Houses have been spilling around the central government's decision to allow 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail and 100 percent FDI in single brand retail.

The entire nation has been witnessing the fights between the MPs hovering around the newly-added disputed issue in the list which shows the latent important subjects demanding serious attention from the country's leaders. Unfortunately, what's losing the ground amid all controversy around FDI is - Lokpal Bill and the Black Money issue. [Read: Lokpal Bill not to be passed in this 'adjourned' Parliament]

Parliament Winter Session 2011 began on Nov 22 but the two issues (Lokpal Bill and Black Money), which were scheduled to be discussed in the House, have not yet received any attention neither from the UPA nor from the opposition parties.

It seems that the central government has successfully diverted the entire attention from black money and Lokpal to FDI in retail. Here it can be recalled that the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee announced the decision of allowing FDI in retail just days before the beginning of parliament winter session 2011. [Read: What is FDI?]

However, some MPs have been seen with placards demanding separate Telangana statehood and price rise but no one has so far raised Lokpal issue. It is always the Team Anna who has been reiterating their demand of passing a strong Jan Lokpal Bill in the Parliament.

Citing the inaction from the government side, Gandhian crusader Anna Hazare has once again threatened to resume his nation-wide protest which he asserted that it will be ten times bigger than their previous protests.

Anna has been quoted as saying, "The nation is waiting for this bill since the last 43 years. If the introduced bill is weak or not introduced and passed in Parliament in the assured time frame, the hope of making India a super power would be lost."

However, the question still remains - can Team Anna once again grab the attention which has been tactfully disrupted by the government's "well-planned" agenda - FDI in retail?

OneIndia News