Govt manoeuvred Parliament to win FDI vote : Left

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) Accusing the government of manoeuvring in Parliament to defeat the Opposition-sponsored motion against FDI in multi-brand retail trade, Left parties on Friday said a "clear majority" of MPs in both Houses had opposed the move as was reflected in the debate.

The Left also attacked Samajwadi Party accusing it of opportunism and Bahujan Samaj Party''s "dubious" position on the issue.

"The debate in both Houses of Parliament revealed that an overwhelming number of political parties representing a clear majority of MPs are not in favour of allowing FDI in retail trade. This reflects the views of the majority of the people of the country," Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo said in a statement.

It also blamed Samajwadi Party and BSP for helping the government in getting the motion defeated, despite their opposition to the FDI move.

"Despite the opposition, the government was able to maneouvre to get the motion against FDI in retail trade defeated. This was possible due to the opportunism of SP and dubious position adopted by BSP. Both these parties spoke out against FDI in retail trade but acted in a manner to help the government succeed," the Politburo said after a two-day meeting here. (more) PTI ARC