Welcoming Prime Minister designate Manmohan Singh's statement against privatizing strategic public sector undertakings, Communist Party of India-Marxists on Thursday favoured a probe into the earlier sale of state-owned companies where allegations of corruption had surfaced.
The Divestment Development: Complete Coverage
"Sweet heart deals for public sector companies, in which there were allegations that some people close to certain political parties were favoured, should be probed. We leave it to the next government to clean up the area of divestment and other areas where news and evidence of scam had surfaced," CPM spokesperson Sitaram Yechury told reporters in New Delhi.
"The nature of the probe should be decided by the government," he said when asked whether his party favoured a probe by Joint Parliamentary Committee or the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India.
The statement comes after CPM's repeated demands for a probe into "bear cartel", referred to by the outgoing Divestment Minister Arun Shourie, during the public offer of six state-owned companies.
To a remark that Left's pressure had worked on the Congress regarding Singh's statement on privatisation, Yechury said: "There was no pressure from the Left."
"We welcome Singh's statement. There was no pressure from the Left. We also want public good and a strong nation," he said.
Yechury said the Common Minimum Programme, which is being discussed, would have a blue-print on divestment also.
