Kolkata: Alleging the Congress led UPA government won the FDI vote in parliament by using “CBI pressure” on some parties, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal Saturday said the decision should have been taken through a referendum.
“The foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail should have been decided through a referendum. The way the parties have behaved in parliament was very unfortunate,” Kejriwal told mediapersons on the sidelines of Pan-IIT global meet here.
“The way the parties voted in parliament, it was definitely not on the basis of merit. It was completely on the basis of CBI pressure that was brought upon on certain parties…I think it was a critical issue and it should have been brought under referendum,” he pointed out.Kejriwal, the bureaucrat-turned-politician who has recently launched his party, said: “There has been a lot of questions on FDI in retail and a proper debate on the issue did not take place.”
Will meet Anna, rectify mistakes: Kejriwal
Two days after Anna Hazare commented that he would not vote for the newly launched Aam Aadmi Party, its leader Arvind Kejriwal Saturday said he would talk to the anti-corruption crusader and rectify the mistakes.
“I will talk to Anna…(on) what has cropped up in his mind against us. A few days ago, he had said that he would only support my party,” Kejriwal told reporters when asked to comment on Hazare’s allegations.
Hazare Thursday said his former aide Kejriwal’s fascination for power was the cause of the split in anti-graft movement and he would not vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. He alleged that the new-launched party was going the same way as others by taking the path of “money through power” and vice versa. Asked whether Kejriwal had become “greedy” for power, Hazare said: “It was right”. (Agencies)