The Hindu : Front Page : BJP’s big ‘no’ to FDI in retail

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Saturday, Apr 04, 2009
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BJP’s big ‘no’ to FDI in retail

Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha election unveiled here on Friday said a big “no” to foreign direct investment in retail in order to help small traders and ensure they do not go out of business.

In an indirect reference to various non-proliferation commitments made by India to the Nuclear Suppliers Group in relation to the India-U.S. nuclear deal, the BJP affirmed that it would stand by those commitments.

However, for the future it would see if the Constitution could be amended to make it mandatory for the government to seek parliamentary ratification for such agreements by a two-thirds majority. There is no mention that it would “re-negotiate” or undo the nuclear deal, a stand taken earlier.

Security issues have been given a major thrust in the manifesto: the party has promised to bring back an “improved POTA-like law” to deal with terrorism “within 100 days” of coming to power and launch a “massive programme to detect, detain and deport” illegal migrants. A national identity card for every citizen is to be given.

When manifesto committee chairman Murli Manohar Joshi was asked whether the party had worked out how much the schemes for the poor, farmers, women and senior citizens would cost, Mr. Joshi said “yes,” but when asked to give a rough figure, he simply walked away.

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