2G issue not to affect UPA government's stability: Pawar

THANE: Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said that the Centre is taking steps in the right direction to present facts on the ongoing controversy around the spectrum allocation, and the issue will not affect the stability of the Congress-led UPA government.

"The entire issue (of 2G) has been blown out of proportion and when the truth emerges everyone will realise the facts," he said.

The steps taken by the Congress to put end to the issue were in the right direction. There is no threat to the government, Pawar added.

He was speaking to newsmen last night during his visit here to seek opinion of NCP leaders over the party's stand in the forthcoming civic elections in Maharashtra.

On the feud between P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee in wake of the controversial 2G note, Pawar said the entire episode was a "media creation" and nothing else.

On the 'rath yatra' by senior BJP leader L K Advani, he said the country had already seen one earlier and the next is going to be a "silent" one.

About the alleged Advani-Modi rift over leadership and the former's proposed Jan Chetana yatra, Pawar said, "let them (BJP) get the requisite numbers and then dream of PM's office."

The minister also hinted on the possible alliance between the Congress and the NCP in the forthcoming civic polls to the Thane and Mumbai Corporations in the state.

"Had we gone for an electoral alliance (last year) we surely would have bagged the civic bodies. Hence, in the forthcoming elections if Congress and NCP come together it will be beneficial to both," he said.

However, a final decision on going together will be taken at the state level, Pawar said.