Pranab Mukherjee confident of smooth conduct of Commonwealth Games

Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today expressed confidence that the Commonwealth Games will conducted smoothly.

"I am quite confident that the Commonwealth Games will be conducted smoothly, and (the) country will be happy to see (it) being conducted properly and smoothly. And there is no problem in conducting the Games," he said in an interview to Congress-controlled Jai Hind TV channel.

According to a release issued by the Malayalam channel, the senior Congress leader said this when asked whether the Games could have been organised better.

Replying to a question about Kochi Metro, a long-cherished dream of the state, he said "no proposal of Kochi Metro is pending with the finance ministry. As and when a proposal will be received, we will consider it with due priority."

Replying to a question, he blamed the Left for the growth of Maoists in West Bengal.

"After all from where these Left extremists are coming? They are not coming from heaven. They are not coming from any other planet. They are the products of a wrong philosophy. And no doubt the Left movement in this country has contributed to this," he said.

"But now they are becoming the victim of this, as it is happening in West Bengal. We are working together ...in cooperation with the state government. It (Naxal violence) is not only the problem of West Bengal. It is a problem of many other states. Therefore, the Central government in collaboration with state governments are working to eliminate the left wing extremists."