Don't eat tomatoes, grow them at home: Uttar Pradesh minister's statement viral

If people stop eating whatever is costly, the prices will come down, Uttar Pradesh minister Pratibha Shukla said advising to eat lemons amid tomato price hike.

The price hike of tomatoes at this time is nothing new and every problem has a solution, Uttar Pradesh minister Pratibha Shukla's statement has gone viral as the minister advised people to not eat tomatoes now. "If you stop eating tomatoes, the prices will inevitably come down. And people should grow tomatoes at home. You can also eat lemon instead of tomato. If nobody is eating tomatoes, the prices will come down," the minister said on Saturday as the tomato prices continue to rise across the country with one kg still above ₹120.

Uttar Pradesh minister Pratibha Shukla said if people stop eating tomatoes, prices will come down.

The UP minister's statement drew flak from the Congress as it interpreted the statement as the government's 'acceptance' that there is no way to bring the prices down. "Jo bhi cheez mehengi hai use khana chod dijiye -- this advice is coming from a minister of Uttar Pradesh. In the race of being indifferent, you have defeated your colleagues, congratulations," Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said.

In 2019, when Nirmala Sitharaman was questioned over the steep onion price in the Lok Sabha, the minister said she was from a family which did not have much to do with onion.

As tomato prices skyrocketed over the past two weeks, Nirmala Sitharaman's old statement was remembered by the opposition leaders who asked whether the minister does not eat tomatoes too.

Tomato price hike, incidents of robbery

Amid the increase in the tomato prices, several incidents of looting, stealing, hijacking tomatoes took place across the country. A Tamil Nadu couple has been arrested for hijacking a truck with 2,5 tonnes of tomatoes in Bengaluru.

A Pune farmer filed a case after his 400 kg of tomaries were stolen.