Left won’t buy divestment yet, panel boycott on

If the Congress thought that Left parties would return to the coordination committee they had boycotted now that Finance Minister P.Chidamba...

If the Congress thought that Left parties would return to the coordination committee they had boycotted now that Finance Minister P.Chidambaram has made it clear that the strategic sale of PSUs was off, they were in for a surprise today.

Both CPI and CPI(M) made it clear that this is not on the cards since the Government has said nothing about giving up its disinvestments plan for the ‘Navratnas’. The CPI(M) also made it clear that they were waiting for an official response from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi since they had petitioned her.

Meanwhile, the PM roped in the UPA’s arch troubleshooter, Pranab Mukherjee, yet again to persuade the Left to revive the coordinatory mechanism. He has been in touch with CPI and CPI(M) leaders over the past 24 hours.

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CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told The Indian Express: “We don’t go back till they make their stand on the Navratnas very clear. We will also wait till the (Parliament) session is over…And thirdly, we went to the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the issue and we cannot take a stand till we hear from her.”

CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan was equally unyielding. “The Finance Minister has not clarified the question of the Navratnas. The government is only trying to save face. They are not saying publicly what they are telling us privately. Is the destiny of the nation to be decided on the basis of private statements?” he said.

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