Price rise divides UPA; Rahul termed 'arrogant'

New Delhi, Jan 12: A rift is likely on the cards of UPA government as one of its prime allies and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) called Rahul "arrogant" over his (Rahul Gandhi) price rise remark.

"Congress is not only the leading but also primary party and any statement by member (Rahul) of the leading party should not reflect arrogance," claimed NCP leader DP Tripathi.

Responding to a question that why the government is not able to control inflation as effectively his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi stated, "It was a single party government then (during Indira Gandhi's prime ministership) ...while today it is a coalition and so has some compulsions."

Rahul's statement outraged the allies of Congress led UPA government as Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar has been confronting heat and nation wide criticism over increasing food prices with the rates for onions and other vegetables hitting record highs.

In response to Rahul's statement, Tripathi claimed, "These are days of pluralism... Coalition rule has arrived."

OneIndia News