Thursday, June 2 2005 13:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In his bid to have wider consultations on the petroleum product prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has this evening (Jun 2, 2005) called leaders of Left parties to discuss the issue.

The meeting comes in the wake of the Left parties' threat to a launch countrywide agitation if their suggestions to minimise the burden on common man are not accepted.

Leaders of Communist Party of India (CPI), Republican Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc have been invited to the meeting, sources said.

The Prime Minister had yesterday (Jun 1, 2005) met Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) general secretary Prakash Karat and his party colleague Sitaram Yechury, ahead of a meeting of the four Left parties, which decided to launch an agitation.

The CPM leaders said they had submitted a five-point agenda to avert a hike in petrol and diesel prices and explore ways of minimising the impact on the common man.