PM discusses divestment with Sonia

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Core Group meeting on Friday evening, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met party president Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have discussed situation in the wake of Thursday's decision to put on hold disinvestments.

"This is a routine meeting which the Prime Minister had with Sonia Gandhi. The Prime Minister meets the party chief ahead of the core group meeting", party sources said.

The meeting assumed significance as it was being held against the backdrop of a UPA ally DMK's threat to pull out of the coalition if the 10 percent disinvest in NLC was not withdrawn by the government and the decision to put on hold all disinvestment proposals.