Toughening its stand, the Left parties on Wednesday ruled out any trade off on the issue of BHEL divestment saying whatever the government does with the company has its impact on other public sector units.
"Even if they (government) reduce the stake to be sold in BHEL from 10 to 5 per cent, we will not be satisfied as a 'Navratna' PSU should not be put up for divestment," CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters in Lucknow.
He said Common Minimum Programme of UPA clearly stated that all 'Navratna' PSUs will remain a part of public sector and if they need to raise capital, they can go to the market.
"The government has no right to sell the shares of profit-making PSUs in the name of divestment and keep the money for its own requirements," he said, adding that CPI(M)'s agitation on the issue would continue.
Karat said there was no logic in attending the UPA-Left coordination committee meetings when the CMP was not being followed.
"The coordination committee had been set up with the aim to ensure the just implementation of the CMP and when that objective was not being fulfilled, there was no point in our being a part of it."
Pointing out that UPA government had set a target of raising Rs 10,000 crore through divestment with a list of 35 companies, including BHEL, to be put on the bloc, he said, "However, our emphasis for now is only on the 'Navartna' PSUs which were profit-making and do not require divestment."
CPI leader D Raja said in New Delhi that there was "no question of a trade-off" on BHEL divestment issue as "we have strong concerns on it."
Asked if the Left parties would settle for a trade off on BHEL divestment if the government addresses their concerns about social sectors' expenditure, Raja said: "There is no question of any trade off for whatever the government does with regard to BHEL has its impact on other public sector units. We have strong concerns on BHEL."
Karat said the Left parties were waiting for UPA chairperson and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to return to Delhi from her vacation in Shimla and discuss the issue with her.
"We will wait till then," he added.
Accusing the government of "first serious violation" of the CMP by deciding on 10 per cent divestment in BHEL, the Left parties on Sunday announced suspension of their participation in the UPA coordination committee meetings.
Karat took a dig at the government for hiking petrol and diesel prices despite repeated pleas to them by Left parties against the same.
The decision, especially the Rs 2 increase in the prices of diesel, would only lead to a hike in prices of essential commodities and over-all inflation, hitting the farmers and other common people, he said.
On whether the Left-Congress spat was just an eyewash and a possible strategy for coming assembly polls in West Bengal, Karat said "the speculation was entirely baseless and the requirements of a single state does not determine our all India policy."
