Hope BSP will continue support, says Azad

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday expressed the hope that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would continue to support the central government.

Azad's reaction came after Mayawati at a rally in Lucknow said  that she would decide Wednesday whether or not to continue support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The BSP is extending outside support to the Congress-led central government.

"...the way she has been supporting us for the last few months, I hope she will continue," Azad, who is also union health minister, said here.

Azad added that there was no reason to oppose foreign investment in retail as it was now known that it would actually help farmers.

"Earlier, it was presumed by a section of political parties that it (FDI in retail) will harm the farmers. But it is now clear that it will help the farmers... there should not be any reason anymore to oppose the FDI," Azad added.