BJP demands Sharad Pawar's resignation, CBI probe into 'scams'

Accusing the government of failing to check spiralling prices, BJP today demanded the removal of agriculture minister Sharad Pawar from the Union Cabinet and a CBI probe into "all the scams" relating to wheat, paddy and sugar.

"Despite claims that all FCI godowns were loaded with wheat, government imported poor quality wheat at Rs 19 per kg and today it is available at Rs 24 per kg. Similar is the case with rice, sugar and pulses which are available at sky rocketing prices to the common man. This is a scam," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a statement here.
    
He demanded an explanation from prime minister Manmohan Singh if the scams had his "consent. If not, then agriculture minister Sharad Pawar should be removed from the Cabinet and a CBI probe ordered into all the scams relating to wheat, sugar, paddy and pulses."
    
Prasad said despite claims of production of 991 lakh tonne of paddy in 2009, rice was available at Rs 48 per kg and pulses at Rs 100 per kg.

"The government exported sugar at the rare of 12.50 per kg. But later realised the shortfall and imported it at Rs 30 per kg. It is now available at Rs 45 per kg to the consumers...is it not a scam," he said.