By IANS
New Delhi : Terming criticism from its Left allies as "general impressions", External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee says that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will complete its five-year tenure with communist support.
He said in an interview telecast on CNN-IBN Sunday that the Left has been supporting the government on individual issues but airing its "general impression" about government policies through the media.
"To the media (the Left leaders) are giving their general impression, they are analysing the situation. But when individual issues (arise), on which their consent, their affirmation is needed, that is for me to decide and we get that," Mukherjee told Karan Thapar.
"So far as I'm concerned, as leader of the Lok Sabha, I'm quite happy and satisfied with the coordination which I'm having with the Left parties."
Pointing out that he was not worried about the Left criticism in public against policies of the Manmohan Singh government, Mukherjee said: "Various political parties make assessments of the current situation and sometimes they criticise the economic policies, sometimes they criticise the failure of the government to contain communal forces.
"That is the reason why they are upset with the government. I'm just saying that it is their assessment, but as long as they will continue to support the government, the government will go on."
Asked how long the Left support will continue, he said: "Till the end of the term of this government." He added that he was confident about it because he was "dealing with the Left leaders every day".
When the interviewer pointed out that Communist Party of India general secretary A.B. Bardhan had said that the Left wanted to review the outside support to the government, the Congress leader said: "I think you leave that (the warnings) only to me. Not to your viewers or your audience. Let me manage that. That is my job. Don't take (over) my job and create panic amongst your viewers…
"I'm quite confident that the UPA government will continue, with the support of the Left, till the end of its term."