Won't settle for anything less than FDI roll-back: Karat

Stepping up pressure ahead of the all-party meeting on foreign direct investment in retail issue, Communist Party of India-Marxist on Tuesday said it would be satisfied only with 'complete' roll back and not 'abeyance' of the decision and warned smooth functioning of Parliament depends on the government's stand.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat also reminded the government that it should not think of bringing back FDI in retail sector after the winter session of Parliament and his party will unite with other forces to oppose any such move.

"The government has informed the opposition parties that they are putting the decision on abeyance.

. . .

"This is an obvious plot.

"This abeyance is till the winter session. 2011 is going to end. 2012 is another year.

Then, there will be no abeyance.

"We want complete cancellation of the policy. We are totally opposed to it. If government thinks that they can manoeuvre and bring this back, then they are mistaken. We will unite with all other forces opposed to it," he told reporters releasing a booklet on FDI issue.

. . .

Noting that the opposition to FDI in retail was a good thing, Karat said they are waiting to hear what the government will say in the all-party meeting scheduled tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, after hearing what the government proposes to do, we will take a final decision. We will accept if the government agrees to give an assurance in Parliament that we are going to roll back, only then it will be smooth," he said when asked whether about Parliament functioning.

Queried whether Trinamool Congress had hijacked Left plank on FDI in retail, Karat said in a lighter vein that his party was 'very happy' if Trinamool has hijacked it.

"I think Trinamool should not be satisfied with abeyance. They should argue for complete cancellation of the decision," he said.