Don't eat onions: Maharashtra minister's solution for rising prices
While the Centre's decision to impose a 40% export duty on onions is facing opposition amid rising prices, Maharashtra's Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Dada Bhuse's statement has raked up controversy. The Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader asked people to quit eating onions for a few months if they can't afford it, adding that it won't make any difference to their health. The former agriculture minister is the guardian minister of Nashik, a major onion producer.
Why does this story matter?
Millions of households are feeling inflationary pressure as prices of kitchen staples, including tomatoes and onions, have skyrocketed. Although the government decided to raise export duty to control rising prices and improve domestic supplies, farmers and traders are protesting the decision, fearing it will diminish their profit margins. Onion auctions have been closed indefinitely in Nashik, including Lasalgaon, India's largest wholesale onion market. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s ally, Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, has also joined the protest.
Can afford cars costing Rs. 10 lakh: Bhuse
Bhuse said if people are able to afford cars costing Rs. 10 lakh, they can surely shell out Rs. 10 to 20 extra for onions. He claimed that people who cannot afford onions would not be affected by the export duty. However, he said the decision should have been made with proper coordination and suggested discussions to find an amicable solution to address the fluctuating onion prices, which sometimes range from Rs. 200 to Rs. 2,000 per quintal wholesale.
Opposition leaders, farmers, and traders slam government
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad called the government insensitive, while Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the government is busy poaching MLAs. Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee's former chairman, Nanasaheb Patil, said the government didn't intervene when onion prices crashed in the summer and farmers were forced to dump their produce or sell it at throwaway prices. Now, the government has imposed an export duty when farmers could have gotten a fair price, he said.
Sitharaman stirred up row in 2019
To recall, amid rising onion prices in 2019, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was questioned in Parliament over the drop in onion production and the need to import onions from Egypt. Sitharaman replied, saying that she comes from a family where onions or garlic aren't consumed much. The statement garnered widespread criticism with a slew of internet memes trolling Sitharaman for allegedly propping up her puritan dietary practice while 20 crore Indians suffer from malnutrition due to food insecurity.
