New Delhi, June 5 : Prakash Karat, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has ruled out the possibility of withdrawing outside support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government over the rise in prices, including the fuel price hike.

Speaking in an interview to rediff, Karat said there was no discussion on withdrawal of support to the Government at the party’s Central Committee Meeting.

The Left support is conditional on its functioning within the broad parameters of the Common Minimum Programme he added.

“Our support to the UPA Government is mainly to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out,” he said, adding that on all other issues, “we judge if they are in the interest of the people of our country or not.”

However, he said, the Left parties have demanded a review of the fuel prices as it hurts the common man on the street.

They have also threatened a week-long nationwide agitation over the fuel price rise.

The Central Government has raised the price of petrol by Rs 5 a litre and that of diesel by Rs 3 a litre. The price of a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also has been increased by Rs 50 a cylinder. Kerosene price has been left untouched.

Meanwhile, to mark their protest a 12-hour shutdown has been called today by the Left parties in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. (ANI)