With the issue of sugarcane pricing raising a controversy, NCP today defended its chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar saying the Ordinance on the ticklish matter was passed by the Union cabinet.
"It is the collective responsibility of the Union Cabinet and not Pawar alone. The Ordinance was passed by the Cabinet at a meeting chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh," NCP spokeman DP Tripathi told reporters here.
Noting that it was good that Rahul Gandhi took up the problem of sugarcane growers with the prime minister, he however claimed that Gandhi had not raised the issue of Sugarcane (Control) Ordinance with Singh.
While Rahul had evaded queries on the issues raised by him during his meeting with the prime minister yesterday, Congress had later said that the prime minister assured the young leader that if need be the goverment would amend the Ordinance if it hurt the farmers' interests.
Replying to questions, Tripathi dismissed suggestions that NCP and the government were on the backfoot on the sugarcane pricing issue.
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