Left welcomes divestment decision

Welcoming the government decision to keep on hold all divestment decisions and proposals, Left parties on Thursday said such a move was in the national interest and their "pressure" on the government on this count was not meant to destabilise it.

"We think that this sort of divestment is neither in the interest of the country, nor in the interest of the public assets. Keeping this in mind, we had opposed it," Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member said.

Asked whether there was a threat to the UPA government from the Left parties, he said, "I don't think so, because the dispute here is on issues. The dispute is not on finding issues to create some other type of a government".

He made it clear that any fresh government in the 14th Lok Sabha would need to have support from either the Congress or the BJP.

"The Left and secular forces will not take support of BJP. The Congress, (if it pulls down the UPA government) is unlikely to support anybody. It is pretty common sense. In such a case, instability will mean another election", Yechury said.

CPI National Secretary D Raja also said, "There is no threat factor. There is convergence of views on this issue and the government cannot ignore such views".

All divestment plans on hold: PM