Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday 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
