AAP MP Wears Garland Of Tomatoes To Parliament; Rajya Sabha Chairman Reacts

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sushil Kumar Gupta said the prices of tomatoes and ginger are so high that they have to be worn as jewelery.

New Delhi: In a unique protest against the rising prices, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sushil Kumar Gupta on Wednesday wore a garland of tomatoes and ginger to Parliament. Speaking to the news agency ANI, he said that the prices of tomatoes and ginger are so high that they have to be worn as jewelery.

"I'm wearing this garland to Parliament to attract the Centre's attention towards rising prices of tomatoes and ginger," Sushil Kumar Gupta said.

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, however, expressed anguish over AAP MP Sushil Gupta coming to the House wearing a garland of tomatoes and ginger.

"There is a limit to which we can dip in our conduct. As a chairman of Rajya Sabha, I am extremely pained," he said before adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm.

Opposition parties have been slamming the Narendra Modi-led government over the rise in the price of some essential commodities including tomatoes.

Tomato prices near Rs 300 a kg

Prices of tomatoes, onions, and potatoes have increased 87.1 per cent in July as against 16 per cent rise in June. Tomato prices are nearing Rs 300 a kg in Delhi despite the government selling it at subsidised rates.

Tomato prices have been under pressure for more than a month now on account of supply disruptions caused due to heavy rainfall in the key producing regions.

"There is a lot of difficulty in the transportation of vegetables due to landslides and heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh. It takes 6 to 8 hours more than usual in the exportation of vegetables from the producers," a Delhi Mandi wholesaler told the news agency PTI.

With the central government's intervention through the sale of tomatoes at a subsidised rate since July 14, retail prices in the national capital had begun softening recently but have again firmed up due to short supply.