Left withdrawal expected, but timing inopportune : Congress

New Delhi, Jul 8 (UNI) The Congress today sought to downplay the Left decision to withdraw support to the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, saying that there was no threat to the government and that such an action was expected from the Left parties who ''want to make it an election strategy''.

''This is all expected. There is no threat to government,'' AICC General Secretary in charge of Media Veerappa Moily told UNI a few minutes after the Left announcement that they would formally convey their decision to the President tomorrow.

''They would have withdrawn support before the next Lok Sabha elections under one pretext or the other. This is their election strategy. There is no national interest invovled.'' Mr Moily came down heavily on the Left parties for the timing of the announcement, saying that the entire nation was mourning the death of the five of the staff of the Indian Mission in Kabul in a terror strike and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was away to participate in an important international meeting.

''The entire nation is mourning. The bodies are brought here today from Kabul. It is insensitive on their part to have withdrawn support today to create news," Mr Moily said, adding that "it does not go well with the national sentiment.'' ''Moreover, Prime Minister Singh is away in Japan attending a prestigious meeting. Their withdrawal of support at this point of time again does not augur well for the prestige of the country.'' He said the Left should have withdrawn support after attending the UPA-Left Panel where they should have made their points clear. ''They are not reasonable.'' On the announcement of the Left Parties that they were withdrawing support in the context of Prime Minister's statement yesterday that the government would go ahead with the finalisation of the safeguards agreement with the IAEA, Mr Moily said Dr Singh had made it very clear that the nuclear deal would be operationalised only after seeking the sense of Parliament.

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