NEW DELHI: Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday that the UPA government was ready to discuss issue of FDI in multi-brand retail under any rule in Parliament.
"We are not concerned about vote," Kamal Nath said. "It is for the Lok Sabha Speaker to decide under which rule a discussion on FDI should be held," Kamal Nath added.
Kamal Nath was speaking to reporters after a meeting of UPA's coordination committee.
A meeting of UPA's coordination committee was held on Tuesday to thrash out a consensus on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, an issue that has stalled parliament for four days.
The meeting began around 12.30pm in the parliament library building.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, defence minister AK Antony, parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and political secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel attended the meeting.
Earlier in the day, breaking its silence, DMK today decided to support with "bitterness" the UPA government in Parliament on FDI in retail sector issue in order to prevent "communal" forces coming to power.
"When this discussion comes in the Parliament, though there may be thousands of differences (between the UPA and the DMK on the issue), thinking about the unfavourable incidents that may emerge if this government falls at the Centre, it has been decided to support the UPA with bitterness", DMK chief M Karunanidhi said
Congress is the largest party in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) with 206 MPs. The DMK has 18 MPs.
Both houses of Parliament were disrupted for the fourth day Tuesday as the opposition continued protests against the policy on allowing foreign investment in retail.
(With inputs from agencies)
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