The BJP and CPI(M) today slammed agriculture minister Sharad Pawar for stating in Rajya Sabha that the issue of rotting grains was an "exaggeration" and accused the government of not caring for the common man.

BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters outside Parliament that Pawar's remarks were "absurd" and that he was getting into a "denial mode" over rotting food grains, price rise and inflation.

While the whole country knew about the rotting food grains, the minister's claim that it was an exaggeration "is an effort to fool the House and the nation," he said.

"All of us know that the Central government has often said that its priority is food security. And the way Sharad Pawar replied it becomes clear that the government is weak on this front," he said.

"It has been reported often in the media and MPs and Supreme Court have stated that huge stock of wheat is rotting across the country and if the Minister says it is being exaggerated it is not only an effort to fool the House, but the whole nation," he said, adding that this could also be a breach of privilege of the House.

He said inflation had "gone wild. The government has completely failed to rein in inflation and in this background the statement made by the Consumer Affairs Minister that grains are not rotting is absurd. He is trying to go into a denial mode".

"The country is witnessing spiralling prices that have not been reined in. The Prime Minister's repeated statements on this have been a complete bluff to the nation," he said.

Noting that the BJP has consistently demanded an answer from the government, Rudy said the people wanted to know what steps the government had taken to contain inflation and not in what time they would do it.

"Certainly the people would also raise questions on why the grains are not distributed among the poor," he said.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat joined Rudy in attacking Pawar and asked what solution the government had to rectify the situation.

She said the CPI(M) had asked what solution the government had to contain inflation and spiralling prices, but Pawar replied that the government would contain it in a year.

"The government proposed to do it four years ago. But no proper reply has been given to this question. Now, it is clear from Pawar's reply that this government does not care for the common man," she said.