The BJP held the first meeting of its parliamentary party for the winter session on Tuesday with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar briefing MPs on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trips abroad and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal explaining to MPs why India decided to keep out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Prime Minister Modi was not present at the meeting.
Party MPs who attended the meeting said that Mr. Jaishankar emphasised the point that Mr. Modi’s foreign visits had boosted India’s standing and furthered the country’s interests.
He spoke in detail about Mr. Modi’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in the U.S. in September and the “Howdy Modi” rally, attended by thousands of people of Indian origin (PIO), which was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister’s participation in the BRICS and Asean meetings besides his trips to Russia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Bhutan were also highlighted, with Mr. Jaishankar telling BJP MPs that Mr. Modi brought the issue of terrorism to the fore and found support from most countries.
Decision on RCEP
Issues such as the economy, traditional medicine, water crisis, digital health and other “people-centric” issues also came in for discussion, sources said. Mr. Jaishankar also mentioned the decision of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to accord their highest civilian honour on Mr. Modi.
In his briefing on India’s decision to keep out of the RCEP, Mr. Goyal said it was in the national interest as joining the grouping would have widened India’s trade deficits with some countries and harmed its domestic industry, sources said.
He said the UPA government favoured joining the RCEP but the Modi government has stood for the country’s interest by keeping out of it.
At the party meeting, MPs were also asked to give details of the foot march that all BJP functionaries were asked to undertake to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary on October 2.
