Chennai (PTI): Expressing disappointment over the outcome of the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's recent visit to Sri Lanka, the CPI on Thursday said he should have "persuaded and pressurised" the government of the island nation to end its army offensive against the LTTE.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan told reporters here that his party was "very much disappointed with Mukherjee's discussions with Sri Lanka."

"A plea to expand the safety zone (for Tamils) is no guarantee for safety of life. Especially when the shelling and bombardment don't stop in this zone. Mukherjee should have made a serious effort, persuading and pressurising the Sri Lankan government, to end war," Bardhan said.

"The CPI is very much disappointed with Mukherjee's discussions with Sri Lanka," he said.

Saying Sri Lanka cannot "ignore" the voice of India, Bardhan also criticised the Centre for not respecting Tamil Nadu's sentiments in this issue.

If there was a "serious effort" from Colombo to end war, the LTTE "has to respond" and cannot "deliberately endanger lives of people by insisting on fighting," he said.

Outlining his party's stand for a united Sri Lanka, Bardhan said there should be a certain "degree of autonomy" for Tamils in Northern and Eastern parts of that country which according to him would "end discrimination".

Responding to the suicide of a 26-year-old man, allegedly to express solidarity with the Sri Lankan Tamils, Bardhan urged people to "refrain" from such ways of expressing their feelings, saying they won't solve the problem.

Criticising the fuel price cut announced by the Centre, Bardhan said it was "pure tokenism" as crude prices were "fast tumbling".

"We demand more cuts in fuel prices," he said.

On alliances and seat-sharing, he said that the party had asked its regional allies to decide on seats so that discussions on seat-sharing among themselves could be held thereon.

The CPI has identified six Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu where we want to field candidates, he said but did not elaborate.

Asked how his party sought to solve the differences with the AIADMK on the Sethusamudram issue, where the two parties hold contradictory stands, Bardhan said such issues would be solved before the parties go for polls.

"There are certain issues (like Sethusamudram) where even allies do not see eye to eye. But a common measure of understanding will be arrived at," he said.

Outlining the Left parties' intention to ensure a non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls, he said it was with this motive that the CPI had forged alliances with AIADMK, TDP (in Andhra Pradesh) and JD-S (in Karnataka) and said more such alliances were in the offing.

Asked about a possible alliance with Mayawati-led BSP, he said the party had a trend of post-poll alliances and did not rule out an arrangement.

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