Sheila slams Opp. ‘gimmicks’ on onion prices

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Targeting the BJP and AAP for their attempts to use spiralling onion prices to their advantage in the upcoming Assembly election and their bid to garner vote by selling onions on cheaper rates, chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday hit out on the opposition for “politicising” the issue and resorting to “gimmicks”.

“One political party opened four outlets. Another which is trying to be a political party opened two outlets. These parties are making political gimmicks to gain political mileage,” Ms Dikshit said.
The BJP had on Sunday started selling the edible bulb at `25 a kg against the market rate of around `80, and had demanded immediate removal of food and civil supplies minister Haroon Yusuf for his “complete failure” in stabilising the rates.
Ms Dikshit said her government was doing “everything possible” to stabilise the prices of onion by ensuring its adequate supply in the wholesale vegetable markets.
“We are not selling onions as a political party. We are selling onions at reasonable rates as a duty of the government. The government is doing everything possible to help people,” she told reporters.
Asked whether she was worried about the possible impact of high onion prices in the Assembly polls as the BJP was ousted in 1998 following a rise in its rate, Ms Dikshit said unlike the then BJP regime, her government was making all required intervention to bring down the price.
Insisting that there was no scarcity, she said 3,200 tonnes of onions arrived in the city on Monday as against daily demand of 1,000 tonnes.
She further stated that the prices at the Nasik wholesale market in Maharashtra have come down to `30-35 per kg.
“We are selling onions at around `45 per kg. With enhanced arrival, the prices will further go down to `35-40 per kg from tomorrow. The government expects the rates to stabilise soon,” she said.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP leader Sunil Yadav said he would give 2 kg of onions to the woman tying rakhi to him. He will visit the JJ camp at Tughlak Lane, which is behind the official residence of Rahul Gandhi and Race Course Jhuggi camp near the PM’s residence at 11 am on Tuesday.