Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh got support from unexpected quarters on Thursday.
Answering a question on whether the United Progressive Alliance-II government was less cohesive than UPA-I, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and Union Minister for Food and Agriculture Sharad Pawar said, without naming Mr. Ramesh, “A colleague made a comment in China about a Ministry. I think we are giving disproportionate importance for that, but there is full understanding between each and every member of the Union Cabinet and the leadership in the United Progressive Alliance-II.''
During an interaction with journalists here, Mr. Pawar said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the NCP and the Trinamool Congress were a part of UPA-II.
“I do not see any problem or policy difference. Some things were said about China…We are giving disproportionate importance for that. [But] nobody feels it is a government of different members. It is a cohesive Cabinet.''
He declined to comment on the IPL controversy saying that since an inquiry was on it would not be proper for him to comment.
Mr. Pawar was fielding a variety of questions during the hour-long interaction organised by the Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women's Press Corps.
