Saturday, May 27 2006 11:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: CPI-M today (May 27, 2006) said the anti-reservation medicos should withdraw their agitation in the light of the UPA Government's assurance that interests of all sections would be protected.

CPI-M's statement came a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance to the medicos that they need not be worried over shrinking educational opportunities as he foresaw a massive expansion of the higher education system.

"We very clearly wanted that a balanced approach has to be taken by the UPA government. Now that the government is saying that interests of all sections will be protected, it is time for the agitating medicos to withdraw their agitation", CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

Yechury, here to attend the two-day politburo meeting of the CPI-M, said, "The whole point of discussion between the UPA-Left coordination committee was that the interests of all sections should be kept in mind. Reservation should be thereand general category seats must not be affected. By 2007, general category seats must be increased. This is exactly what the UPA government has decided".