India politician vows to set fire to Wal-Mart stores

[53fd]

A leading opposition politician threatened Friday to set fire to any Wal-Mart store that opens in India after the government cleared a contentious plan to let global supermarkets set up shop.

The government announced Thursday it would open up the long-protected retail sector, worth at least $470 billion in annual sales, to allow Wal-Mart, Tesco and other global firms to hold a 51-percent stake in multi-brand retailers.

"By allowing Wal-Mart to directly invest in the retail sector, the government has jeopardised the job opportunities of the poor," Uma Bharti, a prominent member of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said.

"I will personally set fire to the (Wal-Mart) showrooms when they open anywhere in the country and I am ready to be arrested for the act," Bharti declared, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

There was no immediate comment from Wal-Mart.

She called for a "new freedom struggle" against the government decision.

Foreign multinationals have lobbied for years to sell directly to consumers in the world's second most populous nation.

Multi-brand foreign groups such as US-based Wal-Mart now operate as wholesalers in India but cannot sell directly to the public, and the vast majority of consumers shop at small local markets.

Critics have worried that modern, large-format stores will drive small shops out of business, despite assurances from industry figures that the growing market is big enough to embrace all models.

Currently, family-run stores account for 90 percent of the sector, the second-largest employer after agriculture in the country of 1.2 billion people.

The BJP sought to distance itself from the comments of Bharti, widely regarded as a political maverick, who served for a short time earlier in the decade as chief minister of the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

"The party does not believe in burning down stores, although there may be a lot of anger among the common people" over the government's new policy, BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters.

The Congress-led government has been seeking to fend off charges of "policy paralysis" and reassert its leadership after being engulfed in a string of corruption scandals.

Its decision to open up the retail sector on Thursday was seen as a sign of its intention to press ahead with a reformist agenda despite strong political opposition.

India politician vows to set fire to Wal-Mart stores - Yahoo! News

 

[Birbal]

Glad to see a BJP politician standing up against multinational corporations instead of inviting them in for once.

 

[Desi Guy]

This is BULLshit .......politics everywhere ....country needs more FDI ....

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

let the law take care of them...

i welcome the govt decision.

 

[DSingh04]

Whereas I doubt this netani is actually going to do anything, or even really cares, SOMEONE should burn down any Wal-Mart that opens in India. Take it from someone who's seen it first-hand, that company is a true death sentence for any and all small businesses. And they treat their workers like utter crap. Hard-working intelligent workers are kept down, while the slave-minded suck-ups are pushed up. Trash policy to appease a trash company. Indian government needs to rethink their decision; at least vís-a-vís Wal-Mart.

 

[justanobserver]

^^

Competition is good, it'll make Big Bazaar and Mahindra Retail shops more efficient. Govt has put lots of clauses to which will force theses companies to invest in back end infra

 

[IndoCarib]

Glad to see a BJP politician standing up against multinational corporations instead of inviting them in for once.

Nobody cares for this Uma bharti. India needs more FDA, and the time for that is now, when we badly need to accelreate our economy. I am a BJP supporter, but I am not with BJP on this one

 

[cyphercide]

Err...then I guess she better hurry because Wal-Mart already operates out of India,It's just called Best Price stores here(dumb politicos,read a headline and start monkeying around)

And what about the domestic super-stores like Reliance Fresh,Birla More stores,Brand Factory,Mega-Mart etc. that are killing/killed off the small/medium sized retail houses?What about the bahzillion malls and hypermarket complexes?No complaints there?

Unke paise ki peti toh Uma "ji" ko mil chuka hoga nah,Ab bas Wal-Mart se nikalna baki rah gaya!!!

 

[JanjaWeed]

Looks like Uma Bharti is trying to get that fire brand thing back into her political career by threatening to burn down WallMart. I don't think this will cut through the masses. After all we have McDonalds, KFC's, PizzaHuts & other imported fast food chains in India.. but idli sambar is still doing well.

 

[janon]

What's the punishment for arson under the indian penal code? And for other charges like destruction of property, endangering lives etc etc etc?

Don't worry, walmart will come, and Uma Bharti won't set fire to it. Thats my prediction.

 

[harpoon]

While in US, there are movements to revive small businesses... the so called 'mom and pop' shops... while in India we are trying to kill off this businesses. What an Irony?

I am not against hyper markets per se, but the Govt should regulate their numbers, to make sure the small businesses also has a fighting chance. Also GoI should make sure that they source their materials locally.Stuffs made in China should be kept at a minimum.

---------- Post added at 08:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:14 AM ----------

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

BJP is morally bankrupt.

Three days they have disrupted the parliament.

Their strategy is simple - shame the govt. that is already in the corner by showing that it can't even manage the floor of the house.

BJP is a right wing party (economically) which started these privatizations reforms in a big way.

The irony of India is reflected best by BJP.

BJP is pro-US and opposes Indo-US nuclear deal.

BJP is pro-privatization and opposes entry of retailers.

Please give sense to these politicians God!

 

[Quick MIK]

BJP is morally bankrupt.

Three days they have disrupted the parliament.

Their strategy is simple - shame the govt. that is already in the corner by showing that it can't even manage the floor of the house.

BJP is a right wing party (economically) which started these privatizations reforms in a big way.

The irony of India is reflected best by BJP.

BJP is pro-US and opposes Indo-US nuclear deal.

BJP is pro-privatization and opposes entry of retailers.

Please give sense to these politicians God!

I can understand the politics played by BJP,they are the one who introduced limited FDI in retail way back in 1997.But what about the left parties they oppose any economic reforms i dont know what these guys are thinking.

 

[janon]

I can understand the politics played by BJP,they are the one who introduced limited FDI in retail way back in 1997.But what about the left parties they oppose any economic reforms i dont know what these guys are thinking.

The difference is that the left is not hypocritical about it - they have opposed any liberalisation or privatisation or FDI and other reforms. The BJP protests whatever the congress does, even if thats what their party has always advocated, or in most cases, started.

 

[Filmmaker]

What's wrong in opening Wall-Mart, we already have many supermarts in India...so one more. What's a big deal?