'Cong. stands by Manmohan on subsidy issue'

SHIVPURI, MAY 20. The Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Madhavrao Scindia, today said the party stood by the stance taken by the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on the ``non- merit'' subsidy cut.

``There is no difference of opinion between Dr. Singh and the Congress'', Mr. Scindia told PTI here. ``What Mr. Singh suggested in Parliament was that the poor strata of the society should not be deprived of the benefits of subsidy and subsidy of those living below poverty-line should not be cut,'' he said, adding that the Congress also wants that farmers should be given the benefit of subsidy.

Mr. Singh further wanted that the affluent class should not be given the benefits of subsidy, Mr. Scindia said adding ``these views are according to the official Congress line and there is no difference of opinion within the party on that''.

On Sri Lanka, he said the problem was ``very complicated'' and any solution to it should be arrived at by dialogue between the two parties but keeping its terms within the ``integrity of the island nation and satisfactory to the Tamils there''. On match- fixing, the former BCCI president said ``cricket will go on and it will not affect the play.''.

- PTI

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