ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
New Delhi/Lucknow: Reacting to foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti on Friday threatened to burn down Walmart outlets if they are established in India.
"I am very angry by the fact that it was big companies that took away lands from the poor first and now the big companies would also take away employment from the poor people," Bharti told reporters.
"If Walmart attempts to open any shop anywhere then I will personally burn them down. I am ready to be arrested for that,” she added.
Bharti said: "By giving permission to Walmart to directly invest in the retail sector, the Centre has killed the employment opportunities of Dalits, poor and backwards.”
“If Rahul Gandhi (Congress general secretary) is really concerned about the plight of the poor, why is he not asking the Prime Minister to stop Walmart’s entry in India?” the saffron leader asked.
Bharti said that she would burn an effigy of the multinational retailer at the Meena Bagh area of Lucknow on Friday.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta said that being a Member of Parliament Uma Bharti could not utter such words unless she has turned 'lunatic or senile'.
"Either senile or lunatic person can speak like this," he told media.
Earlier the day, proceedings of the Indian Parliament were disrupted by the opposition on Friday over the central government's decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in its closely-guarded multi brand retail market, resulting in the adjournment of both the houses till Monday afternoon.
On Thursday, India decided to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in its closely-guarded multi brand retail market, paving the way for global supermarket giants to step into the $450 billion sector that was widely seen as one of the last frontier markets.
After years of dithering, India’s cabinet cleared 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail, allowing global retail giants like Wal-Mart, TESCO and Carrefour to inject sorely needed investment in Asia's third-largest economy.
The cabinet on Thursday also cleared 100 per cent FDI in single-brand retail.
New Delhi/Lucknow: Reacting to foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti on Friday threatened to burn down Walmart outlets if they are established in India. "I am very angry by the fact that it was big companies that took away lands from the poor...
New Delhi/Lucknow: Reacting to foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti on Friday threatened to burn down Walmart outlets if they are established in India.
"I am very angry by the fact that it was big companies that took away lands from the poor first and now the big companies would also take away employment from the poor people," Bharti told reporters.
"If Walmart attempts to open any shop anywhere then I will personally burn them down. I am ready to be arrested for that,” she added.
Bharti said: "By giving permission to Walmart to directly invest in the retail sector, the Centre has killed the employment opportunities of Dalits, poor and backwards.”
“If Rahul Gandhi (Congress general secretary) is really concerned about the plight of the poor, why is he not asking the Prime Minister to stop Walmart’s entry in India?” the saffron leader asked.
Bharti said that she would burn an effigy of the multinational retailer at the Meena Bagh area of Lucknow on Friday.
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta said that being a Member of Parliament Uma Bharti could not utter such words unless she has turned 'lunatic or senile'.
"Either senile or lunatic person can speak like this," he told media.
Earlier the day, proceedings of the Indian Parliament were disrupted by the opposition on Friday over the central government's decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in its closely-guarded multi brand retail market, resulting in the adjournment of both the houses till Monday afternoon.
On Thursday, India decided to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in its closely-guarded multi brand retail market, paving the way for global supermarket giants to step into the $450 billion sector that was widely seen as one of the last frontier markets.
After years of dithering, India’s cabinet cleared 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail, allowing global retail giants like Wal-Mart, TESCO and Carrefour to inject sorely needed investment in Asia's third-largest economy.
The cabinet on Thursday also cleared 100 per cent FDI in single-brand retail.
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