Debate Over Onion Price Spices Up Political Talk

Spiralling prices of onion in the country have become the talk of the town, and a subject of banter among politicians.

On Thursday, the onion prices which have been fluctuating for over a month in Delhi, touched Rs 109 per kilogram in many markets in the city.

The soaring rates may have made a common man’s platter a little less appealing, but the ongoing debate over onion prices has surely spiced up verbal exchanges among a few in political circles.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday had said in Lok Sabha that the government has taken several steps to check rising prices of onion and to improve technology for better storage of the kitchen staple.

Adding a dash of light humour, she said “I belong to a family which does not eat onion and garlic.”

When asked about Sitharaman’s comment, former finance minister P Chidambaram, who arrived in Parliament on Thursday after spending 106 days in Tihar jail, quipped, “Does she eat avocado?”

Addressing a press conference later, Chidambaram, however, said his comments on the finance minister was not “sarcastic”.

“I was not sarcastic, I was quoting her. They should have planned in advance, what is the point of importing (onion) now, when will they arrive. But if the finance minister says I don’t eat onions, that shows the mindset of this government,” he said.

Asked about the soaring prices of the bulb across the country, Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said he is not aware of it as he never tasted onions.

The government had on Wednesday said that the state-run trading firm MMTC has placed another onion import order of 4,000 tonnes from Turkey and the shipments are expected to reach by mid-January.

From Facebook to Twitter, the social media too revelled in some humour over the rising prices of onion, while a few users offered some suggestions. Onion prices remained a part of online conversation on Thursday on social media, and many urged government to take steps to curb rising prices.

Meanwhile, a Group of Ministers chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, and involving Piyush Goyal and Narendra Singh Tomar met today for a meeting over onion prices.