Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Against the backdrop of speculation about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wanting to revisit relations with communists, the Left parties Tuesday ruled out any possibility of working with what they called the “most corrupt government” in the country’s history.

“This government is captive to corporate interests. This government is most corrupt in the country’s history,” Brinda Karat, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader, told IANS.

“There is no question of the Left working with the government. If wishes were horses, you know who would fly?” Karat said testily when asked about a meeting between Manmohan Singh and five Left MPs from Kerala and CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury Monday.

During this meeting, Manmohan Singh reportedly indicated his wish to revisit relations with the Left parties with whom he bitterly parted ways in 2008 over the India-US nuclear deal.

The MPs had gone to meet the prime minister to demand a ban on the pesticide endosulfan, said Karat, but did not share details of the conversation between Left MPs and Manmohan Singh.

The Left leaders from Kerala have been urging the government for banning endosulfan, a pesticide that is said to be a proven carcinogenic.

Veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A.B. Bardhan too ruled out any patch-up with the United Progressive Alliance government and said the besieged prime minister might be feeling nostalgic about working with the Left parties in the UPA-I.

“There is no meeting ground. It’s just that the government is under attack right now from all fronts, and the prime minister is feeling nostalgic about working with the Left parties and is rediscovering virtues of the Left,” Bardhan told IANS.