Sources said UPA partners, particularly Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD and Sharad Pawar-led NCP, made it clear to the Congress at a meeting of UPA allies chaired by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to forge a “unified UPA response” in the face of a barrage of charges from the Opposition.

During the meeting, Lalu is learnt to have blamed the Congress for public anger against the political leadership following the Mumbai terror attacks. Sources said Lalu accused the Congress of fielding UPA partners to take on the NDA on communal issues while keeping the allies in the dark when it came to appointing administrative functionaries, such as governors, and advisors to governors. Suggesting the Congress to face the terrorism issue directly, he alleged the Congress did not deem it appropriate to consult the allies on these things, which are critical in handling volatile situations.

Lalu found support in NCP chief Sharad Pawar who also blamed the Congress for ignoring allies when it came to sharing administrative responsibilities.

When SP leaders Amar Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav tried to intervene on this issue, Pawar told them that they could not understand this Congress trait as they had come in support of the Government only recently. It was only when Ram Gopal Yadav favoured forging a united stand despite differences that Lalu and Pawar came around to hear Pranab Mukherjee and new Home Minister P Chidambaram’s viewpoints.

However, Amar Singh took strong exception to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil’s “small incident in big city” remark and criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s visit to Taj Mahal hotel with people from the entertainment industry. Singh is learnt to have urged the Congress to get both these leaders to resign from their posts.

The fact that the allies want to maintain distance from the Congress on terrorism again became clear during the all-party meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence when SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav asked the Congress to “own up” the responsibility for terror attacks.

Earlier in the day, Lalu said the resignation of Home Minister Shivraj Patil was “too late”.