In a statement on Thursday, Chidambaram referred to the amendments announced by Union Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde on April 13 to the Exim policy of 1997-2002, and said basically the policies followed by the BJP-led Government were nothing but the policies pursued by the Congress (I) Government in the years 1991-96 and the United Front Government since 1996.

While the present Vajpayee Government chose to discard the BJP postulates framed in the name of Swadeshi, the new export-import policy framework saw some progressive changes instead. Recalling that the BJP and its front organisations criticised in strong terms the export-import trade policies of the years 1991-98, Chidambaramsaid the BJP promised ``revolutionary changes'' in the policy structure in the event of coming to power. When the Congress (I) Government and subsequently the UF Government adopted and expanded the economic policies of liberalisation and globalisation in tandem with the intricacies of the global economic scenario, the BJP described such policy initiatives as destructive of the Indian economy, Chidambaram charged.

Among the economic policies and concepts followed by most of the countries in the world, including India, are removing the quantitative restrictions on imports and controlling the import regime with the instrument of customs duty. In the same manner, India's policy on exports depended on identifying products and services where the country had comparative and competitive advantages, the TMC leader said.

Appealing to the BJP to openly denounce the policies included in its election manifesto, Chidambaram urged it to follow the economic policies and reform programmes initiated by the Congress and UFGovernments since 1991.