Mamata slams Modi government over FDI in defence, railways

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the Narendra Modi government over Foreign Direct Investment in defence and railways, claiming a 49 percent FDI cap in defence “will put a question mark” on the safety and security of the nation. [caption id=“attachment_1654957” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and PM Narendra Modi.[/caption] Pushing ahead with the reforms agenda, the Union government on Wednesday approved raising FDI limit in the defence sector to 49 percent and fully opened up the railway infrastructure segment for foreign direct investment. “The Union Cabinet has approved up to 100 percent FDI in railways and up to 49 percent in the defence sector. Increasing FDI cap from 26 percent upto 49 in defence sector will put a big question mark on safety and security of the nation,” Banerjee said in a post on her official Facebook page. Slamming the NDA government over the FDI in railways, Banerjee, a former railway minister, said, “When successive governments have been consciously avoiding FDI in railways sector for strategic and security reasons, the Central government has, for the first time, now allowed upto 100 percent FDI in railways”. “I do not know what will be the fate and future of this country,” Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief, said. PTI