New Delhi: NCP on Tuesday hit back at Congress for
virtually holding Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar
responsible for spiralling food prices, saying it will be a
"mockery" of the principle of collective responsibility of the
Cabinet.
"By fixing responsibility on individual ministers, we will
be making a mockery of the principle of collective
responsibility of the Cabinet system," NCP spokesman D P
Tripathi told reporters.
He insisted that there was "nothing blasphemous" about the
NCP leader meeting Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on the IPL
cricket issue.
"Responsible spokesman like Manish Tewari should not
make statements that Agriculture, Food, PDS and Consumer
Affairs Minister Sharad Pawar is responsible for price rise
of food items," he said.
Tripathi suggested that if the logic of Congress is
stretched further then the Urban Development Minister would be
held guilty for rise in the cost of houses, Surface Transport
Minister for hike in bus and automobile prices, Power Minister
for increase in electricity tariff and Textiles Minister for
rise in the price of cloth.
Appealing to the Congress to desist from making such
statements, he wanted it to realise that it was not only the
leading party but the major partner in the UPA government
which heads the maximum ministries. "It is more logical and
correct to say that Congress has a major responsibility for
most of the decisions of the government".
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 20:40