Onus of tackling price rise lies with Modi govt: Pawar

NCP chief says govt cannot escape the responsibility by saying 'tough decisions' are necessary to improve the economy

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar (pictured) on Wednesday led a blistering attack against the central government, stating that the onus of tackling price rise lay with the Centre and it could not escape the responsibility by saying “tough decisions” were necessary to improve the economy.

The obvious reference by Pawar was to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s decision to first hike rail passenger fare and subsequently roll it back partially, following opposition by the NCP, Congress and even by the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Pawar in his address at the extended working committee meeting of the Maharashtra NCP unit said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had criticised the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on the issue of price rise, saying the “maa-beta” (mother-son) government should go.

“Since rail freight prices have increased by 6.5 per cent, prices of essential supplies are set to increase. It remains to be seen how the government tackles price rise,” he said.

Pawar announced that his party would play the role of a constructive opposition and keenly watch the various decisions taken by the Modi government and would agitate against those which would cost the common man heavily.

The passenger fare hike has not been rolled back completely, he said, adding, “A partial rollback is a farce as it excludes only up to 80 km for second class travel,” Pawar said.

Pawar asked party men not to be frustrated by the debacle in the Lok Sabha elections but gear up for the ensuing election to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in September-October. He said that the voters had expressed their displeasure against the Centre and especially against the Congress party, which was leading the UPA government.

Pawar said opposition parties had leveled a number of allegations against the UPA government but they were not strongly repudiated. This sent a wrong signal to the voters and it cost the NCP too, since it was a UPA ally.

During the meet, state water resources minister Sunil Tatkare was appointed as the new president of the Maharashtra NCP unit, replacing Bhaskar Jadhav who would be inducted in the council of ministers on Thursday. Tatkare will resign from the state cabinet and lead the party for the ensuing Assembly poll.