FDI in retail: SAD changes stance, says it needs relook

CHANDIGARH: In a change of stand, Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal tonight said there was a need to relook at FDI in retail sector, after having earlier favoured the Centre's move.

A SAD release said here that SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal discussed the issue of FDI with members of the party's Core Committee which met here this evening.

"After considering various views expressed by senior members at the meeting, Badal said the issue needed to be looked at afresh keeping in view the interests of small farmers, vendors, small and medium traders", the release said.

Accordingly, he said, the party wanted that the issue be discussed threadbare in Parliament before the government took a decision on the subject.

The release said "the party will not support any move which adversely affects the interests of farmers and small and medium traders and consumers.

The party demanded that "full details of the FDI in retail proposal be made public and placed before the nation through parliament".

The party President had earlier in a letter to the Centre recently supported move on FDI even as SAD's NDA ally BJP expressed its opposition to the move.