RJD to draft foreign policy resolution to back n-deal

The national executive meeting—aimed at firming up the party’s political strategy for the Lok Sabha polls—will pass a political, economic and foreign policy draft on Friday evening. The focus, however, will be the foreign policy resolution.

The foreign policy resolution drafted by senior party leader and Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh is likely to put in print what the party supremo has already stated in support of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

The resolution, according to sources, will back the nuclear deal and underline its importance in meeting energy requirements of the country.

Among all UPA allies, it is the RJD that has come out as the most vocal supporter of the nuclear deal. Taking a dig at the Left, Lalu had stated that those blocking the deal were blocking the development of the country.

Apart from the deal, the foreign policy draft will also express views of the party on India’s relations with a host of other countries, particularly with Pakistan, China and Nepal.

“Our party is going global now,” said an RJD leader. The resolution is set to welcome the onset of democracy in Nepal and urge that India should maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours.

The RJD’s political resolution will focus its attack on the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate L K Advani and extend a call to all secular parties to unite to stop “communal forces”.

In his opening speech, Lalu attacked the BJP and Advani and said that SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was with the UPA to strengthen secular forces. He also pointed out that his party would have a poll alliance with the SP in the next general elections.