Undeterred by the defeat of theOpposition motion against FDI in retail in Parliament, CPI(M)today warned that the government would have to continue to"manage and manufacture" its majority as the Left parties movefor annulment of and amendments to the related FEMA rules.
"The government will be hard-pressed now to go onmanaging and manufacturing their own majority," senior CPI(M)leader Sitaram Yechury said.
In an interview to Karan Thapar on 'Devil's Advocate'programme, Yechury said the Left parties would move forannulment of and changes to the RBI amendments to the ForeignExchange Management Act (FEMA) rules to allow FDI inmulti-brand retail in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Maintaining that the Samajwadi Party, BSP and DMK hadopposed FDI in retail but helped the government win the voteon the issue, he said these parties had placed the question ofthe government winning the vote higher than the merit of thepolicy on FDI.
"If these 31 MPs (SP-9, BSP-15, DMK-7 in Rajya Sabha)were honest to themselves, then the government would have lostin both the Houses," he said, later adding, "Each vote is abargaining chip."
Replying to questions in this regard, Yechury said,"Something extra has happened...threat, intimidation, a bribeor a promise of doing something. Something has happened.
...I am not ruling out anything...There is definitely...
something hanky-panky."
Elaborating, he said in 1993, the P V Narasimha Raogovernment won the no-confidence motion following which theJMM MPs bribery case came to light. In 2008, when Left partieswithdrew support to UPA-I government headed by Manmohan Singhover the Indo-US nuclear deal, the 'cash-for-vote' scamhappened.
Asked whether he was being "spiteful" after the defeat in Parliament, Yechury said, "No, we accept our defeat withgrace... (but) am I wrong in accusing them of double-speakwhen the leader of DMK in Rajya Sabha says FDI means ForeignDirect Invasion and then he goes on to vote with thegovernment?"
On whether SP, BSP and DMK would support the motions toamend or annul the FEMA when they are brought by the Left, hesaid, "We are hoping that these parties will now realise thattheir reputation, their word to the people is now under aquestion mark."
To a question on the Left being on the same side with theBJP on the FDI issue, he said this argument was "a cover, anexcuse because the parties which said this have all donebusiness with the BJP in the past. DMK was in the governmentwith BJP for full five years. This was only a cover for themto take the position they have taken."
Asked why the Left did not support the no-confidencemotion brought by the Trinamool Congress, the CPI(M) leadersaid the motion had less chances of getting support as mostparties did not want early elections.
"Therefore, the no-confidence motion was a way out forthe government, an escape route. And that is exactly what theTrinamool Congress did on the FEMA amendments (in Lok Sabha)."
When told that the government's victory over FDI inretail had led to a rise in investors' confidence, Yechurysaid, "Investors' confidence has in fact fallen. It has fallenbecause they also know that this vote was managed. They alsoknow how precarious and fragile this whole situation is."
"Fragility (of the government) lies in the fact thatthese (victory) margins crucially depend on these two parties-- SP and BSP. That is why this confidence has fallen and notrisen," he said.