Govt reaches out to Sangh on FDI reforms

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch had voiced reservations over the government's FDI policy announced in mid-June

Sangh Parivar affiliates, senior government ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Tuesday met to discuss the Narendra Modi government’s foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, particularly the easing of norms across several sectors in June.

According to sources, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also attended the meeting, as did representatives of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM).
 

The BMS and SJM had voiced reservations over the government’s FDI policy announced in mid-June. They had demanded a rollback of these policies, and even threatened protests, but only after putting forth their views with senior ministers. They argued that the reforms would kill indigenous industries and reduce jobs.
 

Sources said the meeting, which was going on at the time of filing of this report, was an example of the frequent exchange of views between the government and outfits like BMS, SJM and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.