States that want to allow global retailers to open stores cannot be prevented, said Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma on Friday.

Recently, reports that Kerala had endorsed the Centre's plan to allow FDI in retail had kicked up a row in the State. The reports, quoting Anand Sharma, were later denied by chief minister Oommen Chandy who said there was no change in the state's opposition to FDI in the sector and the state government had not sent any letter to the Centre giving consent for it. 

"What Chief Minister of Kerala had said, that is in public domain, he had made a statement . . .. That there are states that have reservations and Kerala has its reservations and Kerala may not implement it. However, he did say that they also respect the rights of the other states," Sharma said in a press statement. 

"So those states who want to have it, they cannot be prevented, " he added.

Sharma added that while Kerala has opposed the proposal, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had commented that they want it.

"So, what's wrong with that? Neither Chief Minister has said something which is, which can be faulted or objected to; nor I have said anything which is being objected to," he added.

"Well I fail to understand why this controversy is being created. There has been a national discussion, as the government has been engaged in the efforts to build a consensus after the decision was taken to have FDI in multi-brand retail . . . . It's not a question of any Chief Minister . . .," he added.

The commerce minister said that Chief Ministers of large agrarian states, like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Punjab are in favour of FDI in retail.