Government has the numbers for FDI vote: CPI-M

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday accused the government of holding up parliament by dithering on the demand for vote on FDI in multi-brand retail and said it should allow the issue to be taken up as it has the numbers.

"The UPA has been mustering numbers. The reason parliament was disrupted was that UPA had not mustered numbers. It has numbers (now). Do not know why they are hesitating," CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

He said the DMK and the Trinamool Congress were among the parties who were not insisting on a discussion on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail under rules that entail voting and that had provided a zone of comfort to the government.