Patna: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar today got support from an unexpected quarter with RJD
supremo Lalu Prasad coming out to his aid by holding the
Congress responsible for escalating prices of essential
commodities.
Soon after filing his nomination for RJD's national
president post, Prasad said, "Sharad Pawar alone can't to do
anything on the issue as his hands are tied."
Putting the Congress in dock for the rising prices of
essential commodities, he alleged that the faulty policy
pursued by the UPA, particularly the Congress, had led to the
mounting prices.
Asked as to why his party was continuing its support to
the UPA at the Centre despite spiralling prices, Prasad simply
replied, "our support doesn't have any meaning there."
The RJD leader pledged to launch an agitation akin to
1974 J P Movement against the price rise which had led to
ouster of the Congress from several states and the Centre.
He, however, quickly added that media persons should also
put a question to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as to why
his JD(U) was continuing alliance with the BJP, a party
which is "patronising traders on the price hike".
Prasad alleged that both the Centre and state government
had "miserably failed" to check the escalating prices of
essential commodities.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 23, 2010, 19:06