Pawar refuses to shoulder entire responsibility for price-rise

Aurangabad, Under attack for the rise in prices of essential commodities, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar yesterday refused to shoulder the entire responsibility for the price spiral saying a variety of factors had led to it.

Addressing a state-level party meeting here, the NCP Chief said considerable part of the country's economy depended on money generated through rural areas, where 60 per cent of the nation's population lives.

Noting that rural economy is affected by natural calamities, which in turn affects the country's economy, he said no one in particular including he could not be blamed for the rising prices.

On a statement published in NCP mouthpiece'Rashtrawadi'which said consuming more sugar may lead to diabetes and one does not die without sugar, Pawar said the statement was the the writer's view and not the party's."Whatever is published in the party mouthpiece is not the view of NCP,"he said

.On non-inclusion of Pakistani players in the IPL and the controversy over Shah Rukh Khan's statement regretting it, Pawar said,"Politics should not interfere in sports."

"If two players from any country are not permitted to play in India, it makes no difference. One should not forget that we would be playing with them at the Olympics.""I will meet Balasheb and discuss the issue," he said.

Describing himself as a proud Maharashtrian, he denied that there was a proposal to separate Mumbai from the state.

"Mumbai is inseparable part of Maharashtra and there is no proposal of separating it from the state. People who have no issues are trying to create such unnecessary controversies," Pawar said.

He said he had a discussion with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this connection and he too denied any such proposal.

The contribution of the Parsis and Gujratis in the development of Mumbai cannot be ignored. All Maharashtrians are proud to be Marathi, but national language should not be neglected, Pawar said. On Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the NCP supremo said Thackeray should sit and guide his party's young brigade and should not engage himself in such futile issues.

His daughter and Baramti MP Supriya Sule demanded that voting should be made mandatory for every one.

Speaking on the occasion Chhagan Bhujbal said that youths would be given priority while nominating party office bearers of various corporations.

On the recent agitation by Shiv Sena and MNS on'Marathi' issue, Bhujbal said warned of strict action against those taking law into their hands.