Onion Price hike: Women's organisation in Tamil Nadu protest skyrocketing prices

Amid the rise in prices of onions across the country, the All India Democratic Women Forum on Monday staged a protest in the Saidapet area of Chennai. The protesters expressed their angst and anguish by wearing garlands made of onions. They also raised slogans against the state government over the price hike. According to protestors, onions are currently being sold at Rs 100 to Rs 160 per kilogram in Chennai. 

Protesters highlight their demands 

A protester named Danalakshmi, while speaking about the rise in onion price said, "We are suffering because of the onion price hike which is a basic ingredient of our food. Not only onions, but the prices of many other food items have also increased steeply. Government is incapable of controlling the price hike”. 

Read: Tamil Nadu sheds tears as onion prices shoot up to Rs 200 per kilo in Madurai

"They (the government) should put a cap on the price hike of onions and other items. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam have ruined the lives of the common people. Today we are protesting. We don't care if we get arrested," she added. 

Read: Sawant irresponsible in blaming Goans for onion crisis: Goa Shiv Sena

Prices of onions across the country  

Prices of onion in many places across the country have crossed Rs 100 per kg and are only progressing upwards. Onion prices soared above Rs 200 per kg for some grades in the Solapur market of Maharashtra. Prices touched Rs 100 per kg in Ludhiana in Punjab and over Rs 110 per kg in West Bengal’s Siliguri market. Nirmala Sitharaman had said in the Lok Sabha that the government had taken several steps to check rising prices of onion and had also initiated steps to improve technology for better storage of the kitchen staple. 

Read: WB: Onion prices skyrocket, touch Rs 110 at Siliguri's Bidhan Market

Case filed against Ram Vilas Paswan 

A criminal complaint case was filed against Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in Muzaffarpur Civil Court on Saturday for "misleading and cheating" people on the rise in the price of onions. Nayyar, a resident of Muzaffarpur town, said that Paswan had failed to check onion prices despite being the union minister for consumer affairs, food, and public distribution. The petitioner said that Paswan has misled people through his statement that the price of the vegetable has gone up due to its black marketing. The case was filed under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code. 

(With ANI Inputs)

Read: Goa's susegado attitude is the cause of skyrocketing onion prices: CM Pramod Sawant