NCP hits back at Rahul over price rise issue

New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) The NCP today hit back atCongress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi for holding coalitionpolitics responsible for price rise, saying it was aninjustice to blame Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar alone forthe issue.

"I do not agree with his opinion....This is injusticeto anyone because this is the responsibility of the entiregovernment," NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar said.

He was reacting to Rahul Gandhi''s contention thatprice rise was the result of coalition politics, a remarkconstrued as a reference to Pawar. Congress had earlier alsomade oblique attacks on Pawar for price rise.

Anwar, a senior leader from Bihar, also remindedCongress of its poor show in the state where Rahul Gandhi hadled the party campaign.

"I think Congress should understand what is the groundreality. After the Bihar election, where does Congress stand,Congress should understand. This is coalition era and wecannot ignore coalition governments," he said.

His remarks came a day after Gandhi, during aninteraction with students in Lucknow said, "It was a singleparty government then (during Indira Gandhi''s primeministership) while today it is a coalition and so has somecompulsions".

The AICC general secretary was asked as to why the UPAgovernment was "not able to control inflation and corruptionas his grandmother and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi coulddo".