Pawar released sugar stock with eye on Maha assembly polls: BJP

The BJP today alleged that agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had released 11 lakh tonnes of sugar from the buffer stock ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections to bring down prices with the aim of gaining more votes.

"The prime minister is presiding over a Group of Ministers (GoM) which is causing disaster after disaster....In the case of sugar prices, there has been massive mismanagement by Pawar," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Alleging that Pawar has been a "complete failure" in management of food economy of the country, he said, "Pawar released 11 lakh tonnes of sugar from the buffer stock to influence outcome of Maharashtra elections as this would bring down prices of sugar."

The BJP MP alleged that "gross mismanagement" had led to the present critical situation of buffer stock of sugar in the country.

"The Prime Minister should please explain how long this mess will continue," Prasad said. A delegation of senior BJP leaders led by LK Advani will meet Singh tomorrow to lodge their protest against rising prices of essential commodities.

The delegation will also have BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her counterpart in the Upper House Arun Jaitley and former party president M Venkaiah Naidu.