India's influential communist bloc on Wednesday stepped up pressure on the new government it supports with a determined call to suspend privatisation moves.
"The Left parties would like the government to stop this disinvestment process and discuss the matter seriously as it is of vital concern to the people and the country," said Prakash Karat, a senior member of the dominant Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Ministers are already fixing the price for the sale of government equity in 35 public sector companies, he told the Press Trust of India (PTI) after a meeting of the four major left parties whose more than 70 MPs support the government in parliament but remain outside the coalition.