Govt wants to experience <i>kolaveri</i> first hand: AIADMK during FDI debate

New Delhi: The Congress-led UPA government is lying that FDI in retail will help farmers, small manufacturers and create more jobs, AIADMK leader V Maitreyan said on Thursday.

"The Prime Minister had opposed FDI when he was in the Opposition, today he is (its) prime mover, said Mr Maitreyan, who moved the motion against foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.

He said United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also opposed to FDI in retail when the UPA-I was in power.

Calling the government's rationale behind FDI as "damned lies at the worst", Mr Maitreyan urged all political parties to defeat the "minority government in the house".

"The government can muster the numbers but I appeal to all political parties to vote ... and save the country. What is poison for Tamil Nadu can't be nectar for Andhra (Pradesh)," he said.

The AIADMK leader said the government had in 2011 promised that a decision on FDI in retail would be taken only after a consensus but had gone back on its pledge.

"Experiences of other countries that implemented the multi-brand retail is well documented and publicised. But the Congress doesn't want to learn lessons from other countries.

"Maybe they want to experience the 'kolaveri' (rage) first hand," he said.

He said the government claimed that global retailers would buy from local suppliers and this will provide jobs to 10 million people and provide better prices to farmers.

"But the government is not telling us how many people will lose jobs by allowing FDI in retail. About 90 percent of total jobs in India is in the unorganised sector and 40 million people are in retail sector, and they will be uprooted," he said.

Govt wants to experience kolaveri first hand: AIADMK during FDI debate