We have nothing to do with SP's decision : Karat

Kolkata, Feb 21 (UNI) Though standing by the side of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in the hour of his travails, the CPI(M) today distanced itself from the Samajwadi Party's withdrawal of support to the UPA Government at the Centre, saying the party had nothing to do with it.

''It is the decision of his party. We have nothing about it,'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters before leaving the city for Delhi.

Mr Karat was here along with other national leaders of the party following the death of Polit Bureau member and CITU General Secretary Chittabrata Mazumder.

In reply to a question on Mr Yadav's call to the Left parties to withdraw support to the Congress-led coalition Government, Mr Karat was terse. ''We have not discussed anything on the issue,'' he noted. He said the SP's decision would not have any adverse effect on the ruling coalition since it would be able to retain majority in Parliament even without the support of the SP.

Despite having serious differences with the Congress-led coalition on various issues, Mr Karat's party made clear several times in the past that it would like the present Government to continue at the Centre for the full five-year term.

Amid reports that the Centre was mulling President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party today withdrew support to the UPA government and announced a decisive 'Halla Bol' agitation against Congress.

Charging Congress with hobnobbing with the 'communal' BJP to dislodge his ''democratically elected'' government in UP, Mr Yadav said SP would launch a relentless fight against Congress' mala fide intentions.

He also requested the CPI, CPI(M) and other Left parties, extending outside support to the UPA Government, to follow suit.

The SP's decision came in the wake of a long drawn shadow war with the Congress despite each side continuing support to the other in propping up Governments at the Centre and in UP. The Congress was planning to exercise Article 356 in UP following February 14 Supreme Court ruling disqualifying 13 of the 37 Loktantrik Bahujan Dal (LBD) MLAs, who had deserted Mayawati's BSP to join SP, enabling Mr Yadav form an alternative government in Auguat 2003.

However, the CPI(M)-led Left parties strongly objected any move to topple the Mulayam Singh Government using article 356, saying it should be allowed to prove majority on the floor of the House.

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau, which met in Delhi on February 17 and 18, categorically said neither the Raj Bhavan nor Delhi should determine the fate of the UP Government and the decision should be left with the people.

Corroboroting the party line, veteran leader Jyoti Basu also observed that the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government should go only if it failed in a trial of strength in the state Assembly.

UNI