The State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India against the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre for violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
State convener of the legal and legislative cell of the BJP, Sl lodha, in a letter to the ECI raised serious apprehensions over announcement of FDI policy by the outgoing Government at a time when the MCC is in force in the country.
lodha in his letter said, “At this time when the country is busy with parliamentary elections and the present Prime Minister is in the process of packing his bags, discreet unveiling of a new policy cannot be called moral or in line with democratic norms. It is also bound to raise suspicions across the globe about the people in power in India, and surprisingly when code of conduct is in force, knowingly the honourable Prime Minister in haste and under the pressure of foreign lobby has announced this policy, when the present outing government has got no right to settle, execute declare and announce such policy matter which having effect on national interest.”
lodha further said that the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, released Consolidated FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Policy (effective from April 17, 2014) on April 17.The policy was released on DIPP website but was not announced to the media in general. Hence, national media including business papers did not carry any news about the new policy.
This discreet release of such a major policy is most unusual and has been done because the present government is well aware that they have no moral authority to release such a major policy at this point of time. The new policy makes some very important changes in FDI policy. Some areas which are crucial to national security have been liberalised, he added.
He said, “We most humbly pray to you in your capacity as the protector of the election process, code of conduct and rule of law in this country to kindly act in national interests and reject the said FDI policy or hold till a new government has assumed office and deliberated on the matter.”