A senior party leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi termed Mayawati's statement, charging the UPA government with working under the influence of capitalists, as 'irresponsible' and 'childish'.
With UP chief minister Mayawati and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar blaming the Centre for the price rise, Congress today hit back saying it (controlling prices) was also the responsibility of the states.
"The UP chief minister does not have the interest of the common man at heart. All she wants to do it to score browny points in politics. Government has announced a number of measures for checking prices and if any chief minister puts obstacle in these steps, this amounts to working against the common man," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters.
Another senior party leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi termed Mayawati's statement, charging the UPA government with working under the influence of capitalists, as "irresponsible" and "childish", saying no prime minister or Government can do this.
Putting states in the dock over their role in controlling price rise, Chaturvedi said, "Do states have no responsibility? Who looks after supply department, food department and the Public Distribution System? Is it not the state?"
"Centre can give foodgrains but what if states do not lift it. Many states did not lift even 40 percent of the foodgrains given to them. States have to take responsibility. Putting the blame on the Centre alone won't do," he said.
Commenting on Mayawati's decision of not permitting sugar mills in her state to process imported raw sugar despite requests by the Centre to lift the restrictions to help ease prices, AICC general secretary in-charge for UP Digvijay Singh, said "raw sugar should be allowed to be brought in as this will not harm the farmers of UP".
Asked about the opposition's mounting attack on agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on the issue of price rise, a senior Congress leader said, "Sharad Pawar has vast experience of handling the issue (of price rise)".
Tewari meanwhile snubbed the UP chief minister's decision on sugar imports, saying if any chief minister puts obstacles in the Centre's initiative to bring down prices it is an anti-common man move.
He said that the Centre wants to take all efforts and initiatives to ease the woes of people, adding, the measures announced by the government yesterday to check prices aims at providing best possible help to the last man in the row.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}