The Hindu : National : Decision not a permanent arrangement: Basu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

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National

Decision not a permanent arrangement: Basu

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: The decision of the Left parties to suspend participation in the Coordination Committee meetings with the United Progressive Alliance is not a "permanent" arrangement, veteran Marxist leader and senior member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) Jyoti Basu has said.

The suspension in participation "is not a permanent feature and I hope there will be further discussions [on contentious issues] between the [Left] leaders and Sonia Gandhi [Chairperson of the UPA]" on her return from Himachal Pradesh, the former West Bengal Chief Minister said here on Tuesday.

First serious violation

Left party leaders announced in New Delhi on Sunday their decision to suspend participation in Coordination Committee meetings after taking exception to the "first serious violation" of the National Common Minimum Programme by the Centre in regard to its decision to disinvest 10 per cent stake in BHEL.

Mr. Basu, however, expressed his displeasure with the UPA Government for refusing to pay heed to "many of our points of view." "They have accepted them [the Left parties' views] in one or two areas but not in most," he said.

Mr. Basu said the Left parties would continue to pressure the UPA Government to retract from decisions detrimental to the interests of the common people. "When they do not listen we will put pressure so that they realise what is being done is not correct," he added.

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