Left, BJP come together, make common cause on vote on FDI

Left, BJP come together, make common cause on vote on FDI

In a rare display of unity, leaders of Left and BJP on Thursday shared a common platform where they voiced a demand for a discussion in Parliament on FDI under rules which entail voting, rejecting government's contention that executive decisions cannot be put to vote.

At a discussion convened by organisations of small traders here, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, NDA convener and JD-U leader Sharad Yadav and CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury shared the stage and stuck to the stand that Parliament can function only after government allows a discussion on FDI and also takes a vote.

"The government wants that this session should not function. That is why the government does not want voting on any of its policies. This is for the first time anywhere in the world that such a baseless argument is given by any government," Jaitley said.

The BJP leader said FDI policy cannot be implemented in the country without a vote on the issue in Parliament.