New Delhi: Agriculture Minister and NCP chief
Sharad Pawar on Monday faced fresh criticism from ally Congress on
the price rise issue, a day after his meeting with Shiv Sena
supremo Bal Thackeray on security for Australian cricketers in
IPL cricket competition in Mumbai.
While Congress steered clear on the issue of his meeting
with Thackeray saying "cricket is a wholly different world" it
attacked Pawar over rising prices of essential commodities.
The NCP chief's meeting with Thackeray in Mumbai last
night, purportedly to discuss the issue of security of
Australian cricketers, stirred the hornet's nest with several
political parties taking exception to the talks and Congress
also expressing its displeasure.
Congress spokesman Manish Tewari did not comment
specifically on Pawar-Thackeray meeting, by saying cricket is
a "wholly different world altogether."
He made it clear that it was the responsibility of the
state government to ensure that the writ of the state runs and
expressed confidence that the Ashok Chavan-led government will
"fully and squarely" meet the situation.
However, Congress leaders privately said Pawar's actions
in a way had expressed no confidence in the state Home
Minister R R Patil who belongs to NCP.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 08, 2010, 20:44