The Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday tried to play down Monday's meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Reliance Industries [Get Quote] chairman Mukesh Ambani, saying that it was a routine matter.

The PMO said that the prime minister meets with business leaders all the time and nothing more should be read into Dr Singh's meeting with Mukesh Ambani.

The PMO was replying to Communist Party of India (Marxist) allegations which said that corporate houses are openly lobbying for their interests in the run up to the July 22 confidence vote.

The CPI(M) said that the PMO should not become the conciliation office for warring corporates, however desperate the ruling party may be to retain power.

The PMO replied that the prime minister will never interfere in corporate matters. It may be noted that the two Ambani siblings -- Mukesh and Anil -- have fallen out of each other and have been constantly warring.

Sources say that with just a week to go for the Lok Sabha trust vote that will decide the fate of the ruling UPA coalition, hectic lobbying is on to save the government.