India to investigate Walmart lobbying claims Ministers agreed with opposition demands following disclosures that Walmart had spent £16 million on lobbying in the last four years on market access issues around the world, including India where it hopes to open new supermarkets and revolutionise the retail industry. Moves to allow Western supermarkets into India have been highly controversial and have threatened the government's survival in the last year. One key coalition partner resigned in protest and the government narrowly survived a no-confidence vote over the issue last week. Opponents claim Walmart and others will threaten the livelihoods of millions of small grocery store staff, while ministers believe they will revolutionise its backward food storage and distribution system which leaves 40 per cent of all produce to rot. Despite losing last week's vote, India's opposition remains determined to obstruct the reform and has seized on Walmart's disclosure that it spent $25 million or £16 million in the last four years on lobbying for, among other things its hopes for "enhanced market access for investment in India." Though widely practised, lobbying is illegal in India. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's main opposition party, said the lobbying amounted to 'bribes.' It is an official confirmation that Walmart paid bribes. Lobbying is prohibited in India. Bribery is crime. People of the country want to know what action was taken against them. Who are the middlemen? This should be investigated. The Prime Minister himself should explain why he didn't initiate an inquiry," said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. Walmart dismissed the claims and said all its payments to lobbyists were made legally in the United States. India's Parliamentary Affairs minister Kamal Nath told MPs the government was also concerned about the disclosures. We want to get to the facts of this matter. I will announce the details of the probe in the House. Whatever the details are will come out in inquiry report. It is a matter of concern for us as well as to who all got the benefit," he said.