New Delhi: CPM (Communist Party Marxist) today (Jun 8, 2004) sought categorical assurances from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government it is supporting on various issues including reduction of interest on Central loans to States, increase in States' share in the Central pool, and laws to protect farm labourers' interests and guarantee 100 days' employment to unemployed rural youth.

Observing that these issues had not found place in the Presidential address to the joint sitting of Parliament despite being part of the UPA's Common Minimum Programme (CMP), CPM leaders Basudeb Acharia and Rupchand Pal also wanted the Government to clarify its stand on India's relations with Israel and whether it would affect ties with Palestine.

At a press conference, they also sought a statement from the Government's on its stand on Iraq to clarify that power should not be handed over by the US-led forces to a "puppet regime propped up by Washington".

Maintaining that the party MPs would raise the issues in Parliament, Acharia and Pal said the categorical assurances on most of them, which were made in the CMP, had not found place in the Presidential address.