New Delhi:
Under fire for high prices across the country, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today distanced himself from the price crisis.
The Agriculture Minister said it is unfair to expect his ministry to answer for everything.
"I have said it earlier as well that the Agriculure Ministry in this country concentrates only on rice, wheat, sugarcane, pulses and seeds. If any farmer grows any particular vegetable, we neither have control over it nor do we have any scheme for it," said Pawar.
After Pawar's statement, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari defended the Agriculture Minister saying if there are any seasonal variations, then Pawar and the government cannot be held responsible for that.
"So far as the macro-economic inflation situation is concerned, yes, he being the minister and his ministry are responsible for it, but if there are regional and seasonal variations because of factors which can be extraneous and not exactly under the control of the government, for example, unseasonal variations in weather, then obviously you know he or the government can't be held responsible for that," Tewari said.