We are not afraid of the Left parties: Kapil Sibal

New Delhi, July 1: Asserting that ''we are not afraid'' of the Left's trenchant critique of the UPA government's functioning, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal has said the coalition government will last its full term and carry on implementing the Common Minimum Programme honestly for the people.

In an interview, Dr Sibal also mounted a strong defence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's style of functioning, saying he ''enjoys the kind of respect that perhaps very few prime ministers enjoy in the international community."

Asked about the nine-page critique of two years of the UPA Government released by the Left parties last month, and to which the Government has so far not formally responded, he said it was something that was ''bound to happen.'' Talking specifically about the comment by the Left parties that material conditions had not improved under two years of the UPA government, he shot back:

"We are not afraid of anybody. We'll carry on implementing the Common Minimum Programme. We'll do it honestly and we'll do things for the people and have programmes for the people. And I'm sure the programmes will reach the people.'' Mr Sibal, a leading advocate, said the Left had an ideology and had every right to criticise. ''We'll debate with them, we'll try and convince them and we'll do whatever we can to try and run the Government for five years. That's all."

Questioned about comments in the press that "Dr. Manmohan Singh needs to seize control of his government" and that "the Prime Minister (must) reinvent himself", the minister said, ''I am sorry that this kind of criticism is being levelled against a prime minister who today enjoys the kind of respect that perhaps very few prime ministers enjoy in the international community." Quoting extensively from the Government's economic performance statistics, he minced no words in saying that it was only the media that was attacking the Prime Minister's image.

''The figures show that the Prime Minister's image is only battered through the media. The facts show otherwise." Asked specifically whether the Prime Minister was too shy and retiring to be an effective leader of government, Mr. Sibal said, ''My answer is that Dr. Manmohan Singh is a different kind of Prime Minister. He's a different kind of man. We all know that he's self-effacing, modest, honest, (with) oodles of integrity and wants to do something for the common people of this country." He also dismissed the suggestion that Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and Social Welfare Minister Meira Kumar were perceived to have created their own agenda regarding reservations, rendering the Prime Minister silent or helpless.

"You're talking about little things that have happened. The education sector is not only about reservations," he quipped.

To a query whether the Prime Minister would complete full five years in office, he said such questions should never be answered because any government could commit suicide, but was quick to add that he believed that the government would last ten years.

''First of all, such a question should never be answered for the simple reason the people of this country decide whether the Government will be in power or not. Any government can be brought down before five years. Any government can commit suicide before five years. Any government can last not just five years but ten years. I believe the Government is going to last ten years".

UNI