In the wake of reports that Walmart paid for lobbying in the US to get access to India, BJP on Monday demanded a fair probe be conducted to find out the names of recipients and insisted that till this is done the retail giant should not be allowed to set up shops here. ...
06:18 PM, Dec 10, 2012
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday after an uproar over the Constitution amendment bill for SC/ST quota in promotions in government jobs. Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari held an all-party meeting to find a way out of the deadlock. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, BSP leader Satish Mishra, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and MoS PMO...
03:10 PM, Dec 10, 2012
The Opposition is crying foul over reports of global retail giant Walmart lobbying US lawmakers to get into India. The BJP and the Left Front joined hands to collectively take on the government, demanding an inquiry into reports that Walmart had spent Rs 125 crore on lobbying with US lawmakers to facilitate its expansion into markets including India over the past four years. The BJP, in fact, compared it to...
02:15 PM, Dec 10, 2012
There was an uproar in the Rajya Sabha over news reports on Walmart lobbying for its entry into India. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad raised the issue in the Upper House and said, "There should be an inquiry into who was paid by Walmart." ...
12:32 PM, Dec 10, 2012
After winning the battle for FDI in retail with the help of Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, the UPA government is planning to introduce an amendment bill for reservation of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in promotions in government jobs in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. ...
09:03 AM, Dec 10, 2012
One of three Rajya Sabha members of the Telugu Desam Party, who were absent during the vote on the foreign direct investment bill in the upper house of parliament, on Sunday sent his resignation to party president N Chandrababu Naidu. ...
10:09 PM, Dec 09, 2012
CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury has accused the UPA government of using unfair means to defeat the Opposition's motion against bringing FDI in retail. Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, Yechury charged the government of bribing its way to secure a majority against the motion. ...
07:29 AM, Dec 09, 2012
A day after Parliament cleared foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday assured the nation again and said that the reforms push will benefit both farmers and consumers. "I am confident that it will benefit the farmers, and the consumers and our country," said Manmohan. ...
12:49 PM, Dec 08, 2012
The United States has welcomed the decision of the Indian Parliament to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, noting that this is a win-win for all from small businesses to farmers and consumers as well; besides deepening economic co-operation between the two countries. "We welcome the Indian parliament's decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail," the State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters at his daily news conference on...
08:45 AM, Dec 08, 2012
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has said that FDI in multi-brand retail is now a reality and the government will look to build consensus on the pension and insurance bills. Speaking to CNBC-TV18 Executive Editor Shereen Bhan, Anand Sharma also said that the Opposition was graceless in its defeat. ...
07:40 AM, Dec 08, 2012
Having won the vote on FDI in retail in Parliament, the UPA sees it as a referendum on its reform zeal. ...
10:50 PM, Dec 07, 2012
Following the win in Parliament, the Commerce Minister said the numbers expose the doublespeak of UPA's opponents. ...
10:27 PM, Dec 07, 2012
After four days of debate, Parliament has endorsed FDI in retail with a comfortable majority in both houses. ...
09:58 PM, Dec 07, 2012
A Manipuri woman alleged she was heckled and abused by a crowd in Bangalore, and pushed away by a traffic policeman when she sought help. ...
08:45 PM, Dec 07, 2012
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Friday won its second battle on the issue of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail as it defeated the Opposition's motion in Rajya Sabha as well. The government managed to get 123 votes while there were just 109 votes for the motion against FDI in retail. ...
07:49 PM, Dec 07, 2012
Buoyed by the victory on the foreign direct investment (FDI) issue in Parliament, the government on Friday said it would bring more bills in coming weeks for ushering in economic reforms. "Certainly, we are going to bring in more legislation in coming weeks in Parliament (financial bills) and we will be engaging all political parties on it," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters. The Minister was asked if approval...
05:29 PM, Dec 07, 2012
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said reforms were on track after the UPA won the voting on FDI in retail in the Rajya Sabha, getting the support of 123 MPs. Refuting BJP's charge that UPA used the CBI to get Mayawati's support, Kamal Nath said, "Mayawati voted with BJP on nuclear deal earlier, then BJP did not raise the CBI issue. Now when they vote against BJP, BJP accuses of ...
04:00 PM, Dec 07, 2012
The UPA government won the vote on FDI in retail in the Rajya Sabha as well getting 123 votes in its favour. While the UPA got the support of 123 MPs, 109 MPs voted against it and one MP abstained. ...
03:52 PM, Dec 07, 2012
Opposition NDA and estranged UPA ally Trinamool Congress today criticised the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, saying government has surrendered to crony capitalism and feared that the policy will spell doom for farmers and small traders. ...
01:39 PM, Dec 07, 2012
Lone member of the Rajya Sabha from Mizoram Lalhming Liana today said he would not support the UPA government when voting takes place in the upper house on FDI in retail on Friday. Liana told PTI that the Congress being the main opponent of his Mizo National Front (MNF), he could not support the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. ...
01:27 PM, Dec 07, 2012
