DMK refuses to reveal stand on retail FDI
14 Nov 2012
Keeping the Congress on tenterhooks, M Karunanidhi, head of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, said his party's stand on the move to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail would be revealed only when the bill is introduced in Parliament.
The FDI bill is expected to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament beginning on 22 November. Asked in Chennai on Tuesday about the DMK's stand on the issue, Karunanidhi said, ''The DMK stand will be known when the bill is introduced.''
Earlier, Karunanidhi had said his party would support any opposition resolution in Parliament against the FDI bill. On Monday, finance minister P Chidambaram – also from Tamil Nadu, which is the DMK's base – met Karunanidhi, obviously to seek his support on important bills likely to come up in the winter session, particularly FDI in retail.
The DMK chief however passed off the visit as a goodwill gesture to greet him on the occasion of Diwali.
After the walkout of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, the DMK with 18 Lok Sabha MPs is the second largest constituent of the United Progressive Alliance government, and its support is vital for the passage of any bill.
While Trinamool's Banerjee has threatened a no-confidence motion against the government, the Left parties have decided to move motions in both houses of Parliament to reject government's decision on the issue.
Meanwhile Karunanidhi has also played the Sri Lanka card once more, insisting that India must move the United Nations to call for a referendum on the right of Tamils to self-determination in the island nation. He has gone so far as to make it a condition for his party's continued support to the UPA. The issue is emotive in Tamil Nadu.
