SP wonders Left support to Cong despite 'anti-people policies'

Lucknow, June 13 (UNI) Samajwadi Party today questioned the Left's continuing support to Congress-led government at the Centre despite its ''anti-people policies''.

Talking to reporters here, SP general secretary Amar Singh said while his party was only extending outside support to the UPA, the Left was attending meetings of co-ordination committee.

To a poser on the Left's stand on continuing support to the central regime, he said the question should be asked from Left Front leaders. ''Left Front is the oxygen on which the central government is surviving,'' he said.

''With the CPI-M at least we have a long understanding. In fact, Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat called up Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for organising a joint protest today on petroleum products' hike by the central government...with the CPI-M we are looking for a proposed alternative in future,'' he asserted.

In reply to a question on the recent differences with CPI's A B Bardan, Mr Singh said he would ask the Communist veteran about the reasons. ''If there had been a mistake, I will touch his feet and seek forgiveness.'' He said had former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh managed to bring rivals Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad Yadav together before the Bihar elections, the Janata Dal-BJP coalition government could not have seen the light of the day.

UNI NAB VS MSJ GC2110