Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti on Friday threatened to set on fire Walmart store wherever it opens in the country to register her party's protest against allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.
"By giving permission to Walmart to directly invest in the retail sector, the Centre has jeopardised employment opportunities of dalits, poor and backwards," she told reporters in Lucknow.
"I would personally set afire the showroom when it opens anywhere in the country and I am ready to be arrested for the act," Bharti said, condemning the decision of the Union Cabinet to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail and 100 per cent FDI in single-brand retail.
She said that she had apprised BJP president Nitin Gadkari
of her plan of action.
Meanwhile, commenting on her remarks, CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta said, "This is crazy talk...this is not the way... Having been a member of Parliament, can she speak like this?"
Bharti also ventilated her strong displeasure against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and accused them of "shedding crocodile tears" in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and expressing "fake anger".
"I too feel angry at the Central and state governments," she said.
If Rahul was really concerned over the plight of dalits, poor and backwards he should ask the Prime Minister to prevent the arrival of Walmart, she said.
"Economic liberalisation has snatched employment opportunities of about 90 per cent of the poor people and benefited only 10 per cent," Bharti said.
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"By giving permission to Walmart to directly invest in the retail sector, the Centre has jeopardised employment opportunities of dalits, poor and backwards," she told reporters in Lucknow.