Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Expressing concerns over surging prices of essential commodities, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asked Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to ensure adequate availability of sugar in the country.
In view of the festive season, Sonia Gandhi also asked the NCP chief Pawar to take adequate measures to check hoarding and black marketing of essential food commodities.
The Congress chief also directed the Agricultural Minister to keep a strict vigil on the available sugar stock in the country.
The UPA chairperson’s comments came a day after senior Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi accused Pawar of misleading the nation over the drought situation and giving false data about the availability of sugar.
In a bid to end the discordant voices, the Congress party today distanced itself from the remarks made by Chaturvedi.
The party instead asked its leaders "not to express their so called personal views in public".
AICC media department chairman Janardan Dwivedi said, "Whatever the party had to say on the drought situation and other related issues, it has said through the CWC resolution.
An angry NCP had promptly demanded disciplinary action against Chaturvedi whose statement had come at a time when the issue of alliance between the two parties is being decided by Congress high command, giving the impression that there was more to the statement of Chaturvedi.
