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Political storm over Walmart lobbying
December 10, 2012
The disclosure that global retail giant Walmart had spent about Rs 125 crore in the last four years to lobby with US lawmakers kicked up a political storm here with Opposition creating pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha and promising to create further trouble tomorrow.
The BJP, the CPI-M, the CPI, the SP, JD-U, the Trinamool Congress, the AGP and the AIADMK used the issue to target the government over its decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in retail as they pressed for a probe into "illegality" and a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In its disclosure filed with the US Senate, Walmart has said it spent close to USD $25 million (about Rs 125 crore) since 2008 on its various lobbying activities, including on the issues related to 'enhanced market access for investment in India'.