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Don’t cross “Lakshman rekha”, Left warns UPA
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 17
With weeks left for the Assembly polls to five states, including West Bengal and Kerala, the Left parties today raised their pitch against the UPA government by warning the Manmohan Singh government to cross the national common minimum programme “Lakshman rekha” at its own peril.

“Our support will continue till the time the government does not cross the “Lakshman rekha” (CMP),” senior CPM leader Sitaram Yechury told a joint press conference with leaders of the CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc here.

Striking a hard posture, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said: “Every option” was open to the Left parties, adding, “We are not bonded labourers”. When asked whether the Left parties would withdraw from the UPA-Left parties Coordination Committee in view of serious differences on the government’s economic and foreign policy issues, Mr Yechury said: “We have not yet considered it in seriousness at the moment.” As and when the situation arose, the Left parties would take stock of the situation, he added.