To mark the Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav's 50th birthday on Saturday, the party workers devised a unique way to celebrate the occasion by distributing tomatoes to highlight the surging prices of the crop.
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"Today is our party president Akhilesh Yadav’s birthday, which we always celebrate by celebrating sweets. However, this time, we are celebrating it by distributing tomatoes to highlight the inflation in the country," a party worker told news agency PTI.
According to the video, the party workers can be seen celebrating the birthday with a tomato shaped cake and distributing boxes packed with tomatoes.
{{/usCountry}}According to the video, the party workers can be seen celebrating the birthday with a tomato shaped cake and distributing boxes packed with tomatoes.
{{/usCountry}}Tomato prices in the country have doubled over the week with one kg of the kitchen staple hitting a high of ₹100 and wholesale traders blaming the sudden spike to the rain hitting produce and transportation logistics. The figures from market show that tomatoes were being traded at ₹850 per quintal on June 23 and it spiked to ₹3,000 on June 24 and ₹4,000 per quintal on June 27.
Read here: Rain effect: Himachal’s tomato growers reaping rich dividends
Tomato prices soar to ₹120 per kg in Tamil Nadu's Koyambedu and Hyderabad. The price of tomatoes is ₹120/kg, and green chillies are ₹100-120/kg. Due to the price hike, people are not purchasing vegetables, a fruit and vegetable seller told ANI.
Meanwhile, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, said the retail prices of tomato in the national capital will come down immediately on improved supplies from Solan and Sirmaur districts of rain-hit Himachal Pradesh.
He further informed that the government has also launched a tomato grand challenge from today, where it has sought ideas from people on improving the preservation and storage of tomatoes and also to ensure its supply throughout the year.
Read here: Ghaziabad: Tomato prices skyrocket in past four days
Tomato prices are surging high since pre-Monsoon rains in most retail markets but there has been a sharp rise in northern states due to continuous rains.
Samajwadi party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav turned 50 on Saturday. Several leaders across the party lines wished him on his birthday. UP CM Yogi Adityanath took to Twitter to wish his predecessor. He said, "Birthday greetings to the National President of Samajwadi Party Mr. Akhilesh Yadav! May Lord Ram bless you with good health."