In a rare role reversal, the BJP today got mother organisation RSS to retract its support to the revised WTO framework for negotiations signed by the Government in Geneva a week ago.The adoption of the framework was described as a ‘‘victory’’ for India by the Government which said key demands, aimed at preserving the country’s domestic policy space, had been met.These included assurances to discuss special and differential treatment, such as granting developing countries the flexibility to adopt a special safeguard mechanism (SSM) and designate several agriculture produce as special products (SP).The revised framework also dropped from the Doha agenda — its deadline has been extended to December 2005 — the three Singapore issues relating to investment, competition and Government procurement.But in a written statement today, Madhav said: ‘‘The reality appears to be that instead of bargaining for the larger good of our farmers, the United Progressive Alliance government representatives have actually agreed to conditionalities that would greatly harm our agricultural sector.’’The outcome of the latest Geneva meet ‘‘instead of being a victory to India, is actually a major setback to the efforts made by the NDA government,’’ he added.BJP leaders played a major role in making the RSS see ‘‘reality’’ and will present a detailed critique of the agreement early next week following which the entire Sangh Parivar is expected to unitedly attack the UPA government for ‘‘compromising’’ the interests of India’s farmers.A three-member team, comprising Arun Jaitley, Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, is currently engaged in studying the fine print of the agreement and holding discussions with experts on the subject, sources said.For the BJP, the WTO issue is a handy one. Its leaders, particularly Jaitley who is still basking in the afterglow of his achievements at Cancun, are seen to have a better grasp of the subject than others in the Sangh.Second, the Geneva agreement provides a common ground to both self-confessed ‘‘liberalisers’’ like Jaitley and hardliners of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch.But the third and most important reason is that it fits in very well with the BJP’s post-Goa strategy of focussing on the ‘‘inner contradictions’’ of the Left-backed Manmohan Singh dispensation.Although the Left hasn’t reacted to the latest agreement, it had opposed India’s entry into the World Trade Organisation.
