Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday refused to react to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's comment that the central government has decided to keep on hold its decision to allow foreign equity in retail, saying the government stand would be announced in parliament which is in session.
"I cannot announce anything. Parliament is in session. Any government decision will be made in Parliament," Mukherjee said at his south Kolkata residence hours after Banerjee announced that the central government would keep in suspension its decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in retail until and unless a consensus was evolved on the vexed issue.
Mukherjee confirmed that he had spoken to Banerjee twice during the day. "But officially, I can't make any announcement as parliament is in session."
In a sudden and dramatic development, Banerjee said that Mukherjee had informed her over phone of the central government's decision to keep on hold the issue of FDI in retail.
"I had telephonic conversations with him twice today (Saturday). He has told me that the centre has decided to suspend implementation of the decision to allow FDI in retail. He has told me that the decision will not be implemented unless there was consensus on the issue," Banerjee told media persons at the state secretariat, Writers' Buildings, here.
Banerjee said during the talks, the union minister asked for the opinion of her party Trinamool Congress - the second largest partner in the United Progressive Alliance government with the DMK - to find a solution to the vexed issue.
The sudden announcement, coming a day after the government firmly ruled out any rethink on the cabinet decision, took the media by surprise, and representatives of several national and local media were not present when Banerjee spoke at the podium before her chamber. Also, though Banerjee is one of the most important leaders of the ruling coalition, she is not a part of the union government.
Law Minister Salman Khurshid had said Friday the decision on allowing 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail was well thought out but could not be taken back because the opposition was "shouting".