Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday assured the state legislature that the state will not allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail sector .

Chandy made the announcement in response to notice for an adjournment motion given by the opposition Left Democratic Front in the assembly. He said he had received nod from Congress high command for taking such a decision in the issue.

Chandy said it was true that MPs of Congress and allies from Kerala had voted in Parliament for allowing FDI in retailing . But this was following whip from party leadership.

He said Congress MPs from the state will follow party leadership’s decisions. But we had got exemption regarding implementing it in the state, he added. The current decision won’t be revoked even during the remaining years of UDF government in the state, the Chief Minister asserted.

The opposition had given notice for discussing the problems faced by traditional industries in Kerala including coir, cashew, fisheries, textiles and beedi in the light of nod for FDI in retailing. CPI (M) MLA P.K Gurudasan served the notice.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition V S Achuthanandan demanded that it should be investigated if any MP from Kerala had received benefits for allowing FDI in retailing in the country. He raised this allegation in the light of the disclosure of Walmart that it had spent a huge sum for lobbying for enhanced market access in India.

Achuthanandan’s remarks created uproarious scenes in the assembly and later he withdrew it.