A video of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying she doesn’t eat a lot of onions has gone viral on social media, being perceived as the minister’s insensitivity towards the issue of soaring onion prices.
However, a look at the video reveals that the minister said this in response to a question she was asked by an MP if she ate onions.
In the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, NCP MP Supriya Sule asked the FM about rising defaults in Mudra loans and about onion prices.
However, just as the Finance Minister was about to respond, an MP intervened and asked her if she eats onions, to which she responded saying, “I do not eat so much garlic, onion, so don't worry, I come from such a family where onion does not matter.”
She then proceeded to respond to Supriya Sule’s questions.
#WATCH: FM Sitharaman says "Main itna lehsun, pyaaz nahi khati hoon ji. Main aise pariwar se aati hoon jaha onion, pyaaz se matlab nahi rakhte" when an MP intervenes&asks her 'Aap pyaaz khaate hain?' while she was answering NCP's Supriya Sule's ques on production&price of onions. pic.twitter.com/i6OG7GN775
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2019
On the issue of rising onion prices, the FM said that the government has taken several steps to check rising prices of onion and has initiated steps to improve technology for better storage of the kitchen staple.
"I must say, from 2014, I have also been part of some of the group of ministers, which monitored the ups and downs in onion markets. Sometimes when there was surplus of crop, we have also facilitated by giving support to those people who want to export it. I have overnight past orders for helping with 5-7% assistance for exporting," she said.
Attributing shortage to low production, the minister said there are severe structural problems related to onions.
"One is we don't have scientifically advanced methods of storing...So that is one of the things, so we need to have greater scientific storage facility for onions we have started working on it...then also to give better storage capacities within that region particularly around Lasalgaon," she said.
Replying to the debate on the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants, which was later passed by the Lok Sabha, she said the government has taken several steps to check rising prices of onion include ban on exports, imposition of stock limit, import and transfer of onion from surplus to deficit area.
Price of onions in many places has crossed Rs 100 per kg because of less production.
With PTI inputs