Congress too has no veto power in coalition govt: Left

New Delhi Feb 11 (UNI) The gulf between the Left and the UPA government seems to be getting ever wider, with the supporting parties today questioning the claim of the Congress that there was no need for consenus on all policy matters.

The Left charged the Congress with interpreting consultations for consenus, ignoring their view point.

They came down heavily on the government for its failure to contain prices which was a result of the misdirected economic policies that were being pursued. "Inflation is like tax on the poor, the peasants and the unorganised groups," the Left leaders told UNI.

Stung by the Congress's claim that it had consulted the Left on disinvesting the three power PSUs, the CPI, CPI(M) and Forward Bloc alledged that it was "a plain lie and added that consultations did not amount to consent." CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja said," In the absence of consensus. if the government takes any decision unilaterliy, the supporting parties have the right to differ and express their disapproval." Asserting that the government did not constitute of the Congress alone, Mr Bardhan said the ruling party had no veto power or right to ignore the concerns of the Left.

The Congress has contended that it was not incumbent upon the government to take the Left's consent on all policy issues." The recquirement is of consulations and not consensus," Congress spoekperson Abhisehk Manu Singhvi said yesterday.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram claimed that the Government had consulted the Left parties on disinvesting the power PSUs.

CPI National Secretary D Raja found " disconnection" between Mr Singhvi and Mr Chidambaram's contradictory statements. Mr Raja said while Mr Singhvi asserted that there was no need for Left cosensus on all policy matters, the FM claimed that the Left had been consulted on disinvesting power PSUs.

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