Sonia Gandhi hails Left's contribution

New Delhi, July 11: Following is the text of opening remarks made by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at the meeting of the UPA Coordination Committee on Friday, July 11.

''Respected Prime Minister, friends and colleagues. I welcome you all to this important meeting of the UPA Coordination Committee and thank you all for coming at such short notice. We met here first a little over four years ago with a vision for a New India. That vision was translated into the National Common Minimum Programme. A great many of the commitments we made under NCMP have been fulfilled.

I wish to thank the Prime Minister and all of you the members of the UPA, for making this possible. I wish also to thank the Left parties who have been with us during these last four years. Without their support the UPA could not have been formed and a good deal of what we have achieved would not have been possible. Unfortunately, we could not carry them with us on the nuclear agreement despite our best efforts. While we regret their withdrawal of support it is now time to look ahead.

The Samajwadi Paraty has offered to support us. We welcome this and thank them for it.

We now have to gear up to meet the challenges before us. We came together in 2004 on the firm commitments to restore the secular foundation of our governance and to place the nation firmly on the path of inclusive growth. We made a promise to the most deprived and disadvantaged to endeavour to reach to them the fruits of this growth. We will continue to strive to honour those pledges. Before the Left parties withdrew their support the Prime Minister had said that he would not operationalise the agreement with out taking Parliment into confidence. We stand by that pledge. In keeping with the highest traditions of democracy and of our Constitution, when the Prime Minister met the President yesterday, he himself handed over a letter stating that the UPA Government wishes to seek a Trust Vote as early as possible.

A special session of the Lok Sabha will be convened soon to enable us to seek a Vote of Confidence. I have no doubt that we shall prove our majority and work earnestly of fulfill our remaining agenda.''

UNI