Maintaining that food inflation is "most provocative and harmful" for the common man, Congress today said Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar could not absolve himself of the primary responsibility for it.
"All inflation is anathema to the Congress-led UPA. Food inflation is most
provocative and harmful....It needs priority attention", party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
While the responsibility is common, he said there was a "specific responsibility of a ministry in a collective context".
Seeking to point out that Pawar holds Agriculture and the concerned other Ministries regarding essential commodities, He said there is a "differential responsibility in the anonymous collective responsibility".
Singhvi steered clear of a question whether Pawar was giving strength to Shiv Sena by his meeting its chief Bal Thackeray. "I do not want to speculate on it".
The Congress statement came a day after NCP hit back at it for virtually holding Pawar responsible for spiralling food prices, saying it will be a "mockery" of the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet.