Left demands withdrawal of decision to sell stakes of Neyveli Lignite Corporation

CHENNAI: Left parties today demanded that the Centre withdraw its decision to sell five per cent stakes of the public sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation to private players.

"We insist that the Centre withdraw its decision to sell five per cent stakes of Neyveli Lignite Corporation to private sector," CPI (M) Tamil Nadu unit secretary G Ramakrishnan and CPI state secretary G Ramakrishnan told reporters here.

Alleging that the Centre's decision to hike the natural gas price was only to benefit a private company, they said their parties would hold protests against the move.

The gas price in many countries were one eighth of the price in India, they said.

Both the parties sought an inquiry into the death of Dalit youth Ilavarasan, whose marriage to caste Hindu girl Divya led to violence in Dharmapuri district on November 7, 2012.