As the price of onion has refused to climb down despite tall promises, the State Government, the Centre and wholesale traders have started to blame each other.
It has also provided an opportunity to the BJP to question the Government’s hollow promises. While the Delhi Government on Thursday sought Centre’s intervention to rein in the soaring onion prices a day after the Centre put the blame on the State Governments, wholesale traders in the Capital complained of being forced to procure the produce at high rates from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka.
The BJP is all set to raise the issue in party rallies in the capital. leader of Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has decided to hold 100 public meetings across 70 constituencies in the national Capital. Onion prices will be the main focus of the rallies. Early on Thursday, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Consumer Affairs Minister KV Thomas seeking their intervention to rein in the prices.
She also sought permission from Election Commission of India to allow the sale of the edible bulb in the city at a reasonable prices. Sources said 18 wholesale dealers were prosecuted out of nearly 50 wholesale dealers raided on Wednesday.