Addressing a gathering of farmers, Chaturvedi even accused Pawar of misrepresenting facts on availability of sugar. "If the stock of sugar was there and the mills were full of sugar stocks, then how did the shortage take place?" Chaturvedi said, prompting the NCP to demand disciplinary action against him.

While Pawar himself chose to remain silent, the NCP spokesman said disciplinary action should be initiated against Chaturvedi for maligning the UPA government, adding that such statements were not good for the two parties. He also categorically stated that no such letter had been written by the Congress president to the NCP chief.

Tripathi said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on many occasions hailed Pawar as one of the best Agriculture Ministers of the country whose tenure had witnessed substantial increase in the minimum support prices of paddy, wheat, sugarcane and other farm produce.

But as if Chaturvedi's remarks were not enough, Maharashtra Congress leader KL Gidwani also claimed that the Agriculture Ministry was planning a policy change in sugar levy and its release mechanism that would result in artificial shortage and stoke further price rise. He said he had written to Sonia and the Prime Minister to ensure this did not happen. Sugar prices have risen steeply in recent months, and its impact is being felt on every household budget in the country.