Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday denounced the Modi government's decision to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in defence sector by easing norms, saying the prime minister was working under pressure from the United States and his party would oppose it in Parliament.
"The Congress government had allowed FDI in defence with a pre-condition that it would be for state-of-the-art-technology but the present government has eased the conditions. The prime minister is working under pressure from the United States. This is not in the country's interest and the Congress would oppose it in Parliament," he told media persons.
"The Reserve Bank of India would issue a notification under Foreign Exchange Management Act on easing FDI norms which would be ratified by Parliament and the Congress would oppose it at that stage," he said.
Sharma questioned "on what basis Bharatiya Janata Party was celebrating its two years in office when over the last two years, FDI saw a decline, exports gone down, industrial production fell and the government miserably failed to generate employment".
He accused the Modi government of unleashing a "political vendetta" against the Congress, trying to destabilise Congress' governments in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and toppling the party-led government in Arunachal Pradesh in a bid to accomplish its agenda of a 'Congress-free India'".
"The National Democratic Alliance government is totally insensitive towards the agriculture sector. Farmers are committing suicides, but instead of visiting the affected villages, the Modi government is busy celebrating its achievements, which are nowhere visible on the ground," he said.
Asked about his party's stand on goods and services tax , Sharma said: "Such issues should be resolved with the consent of all parties and not by vote."
Replying to another query, he said he was not in run for post of the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.
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