BJP, RSS will take India back to pre-reform days of higher duties: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is lodged in Tihar jail in a corruption case, on Friday said the BJP, the RSS and the government will take India back to the pre-reform days of higher duties and protectionist measures.

The Congress leader's remarks came in the wake of RSS affiliated bodies demanding higher duties and measures to protect the domestic industry ahead of proposed RCEP free trade agreement. "'Make in India' is turning out to be the old protectionism. Sad. RSS, BJP and the Government will take us back to the pre-reform days with higher duties and protectionist measures," he said on Twitter.

Chidambaram, who is in jail since September 5 for alleged corruption in the INX Media case, has asked his family to tweet on his behalf. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement between 10 ASEAN member states and their six trading partners. Trade ministers of RCEP countries will discuss issues related to investment, e-commerce, rules of origin and trade remedies in a meeting in Bangkok on October 12.

The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagaran Manch on Thursday announced that it would hold a nationwide protest between October 10-20 against the RCEP. The announcement comes days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat suggested caution in trade relations with other countries during his annual Vijayadashami address at Nagpur. He had also advocated Swadeshi and suggested that the country should create and expand trade relations with the world on the basis of our strength and terms.