Pained by PM's statement on UPA allies: Pawar

The PM had said that difficult decisions were getting 'more difficult' because of coalition compulsions

PTI | March 21, 2012



Congress party's troubles with allies had a new dimension with NCP chief and Union Minister Sharad Pawar taking exception to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's comments on the attitude of allies, saying it has caused "anguish and unease" to the party.

Pawar described as a "sweeping statement" Singh comments in Parliament on Monday that difficult decisions were getting" more difficult" because of coalition compulsions.

"There is not even a single instance where we (NCP) have caused any hindrance (for the government). Making such a sweeping statement has caused anguish and unease for us. I am the NCP chief. We have 15 MPs in Parliament. We have been working with this PM and the government for the last 7-8 years," Pawar said.

There has been no occasion when the government took one decision and NCP another, Pawar said. "We maintain coalition dharma."

His surpirse comments come in the backdrop of Congress party's troubles with two key allies, Trinamool Congress and the DMK, with whom it has just bought peace with the Prime Minister succumbing to their demands.

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee succeeded in having her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi replaced as Railway Minister over fare hike in the Rail budget.

The Prime Minister also placated DMK, which had threatened to pull out of government on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. Singh told Parliament that India was "inclined to" vote in favour of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN that would advance "our objectives" with regard to the future of ethnic Tamils there.

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