CPI(M) rules out withdrawal of support to UPA govt

KOLKATA: The CPI(M) on Thursday ruled out withdrawal of its support to Congress-led UPA government following the stand-off on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal

"Our policy is not to pull down the government but work for change in the policies of the government which are not in national interest," Biman Bose, Chairman of West Bengal's ruling Left Front and state secretary of CPI(M), said.

"It is gossip and seems to have no real basis," he said in response to a query whether there was a possibility of withdrawal of support by his party.

To another question, Bose said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should learn from the Left Front in West Bengal how a coalition government is run.

"We are running a coalition government here for seven consecutive terms. The Prime Minister is yet to complete one term of heading a coalition government," Bose, who left for Delhi for his party's politburo meeting, said.

The Prime Minister had spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on August 14 on the nuclear deal and the Chief Minister had said that CPI(M) had taken a "princiled stand"  on the issue.

The four Left parties, which are providing crucial outside support to the UPA government, have rejected the nuclear deal and demanded that it should not be operationalised.

The Prime Minister has, however, made it clear that there was no going back on the agreement.