SP rules out withdrawing support from UPA govt

Samajwadi Party Thursday ruled out withdrawing support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre saying it wanted Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to direct their party leaders not to "cross the limits."

A senior party leader did not want to blame Gandhi for the tapping, unlike UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and General Secretary Amar Singh who directly blamed her.

"It is all rumour. There is no such move. There is no divorce till all the limits are crossed", Party Vice President Janershwar Mishra told reporters when asked about reports that party was considering withdrawal from the UPA in the wake of phone tapping of party leaders, including Amar Singh.

Condemning the tapping of the phones of Singh and other opposition leaders, the veteran Samajwadi leader said "I will not blame Sonia Gandhi or the Prime Minister, but would like to tell them to stop this otherwise it would have far reaching consequences".

Earlier, talking to reporters after meeting Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, Amar Singh said there was no immediate move to withdraw support to the Congress-Led coalition.

"Not now," said Singh when asked whether the SP which has 40 MPs was considering reviewing its support to the UPA government. There will be no threat to the UPA government even if Samajwadi Party decided to quit the coalition.