Reporter's Diary: Raja seems to be an ardent Nirmala follower

CHENNAI: Veteran BJP leader H Raja had stumped many by his idea to control tomato prices. He said that the price of perishable commodities like tomatoes, which shot up and went up to Rs 130/kg in the State, can be controlled by stop consuming it for 4-5 days.

Ridiculing political leaders for not finding a permanent solution to such a scenario, Raja explained how technology can be used to anticipate such a situation and rationalise the sale of perishable commodities.

The former Karaikudi MLA said that he has spoken in detail in the assembly on the ways and means to address vegetable price with the aid of technology and government machinery. “Then Chief Minister appreciated it, but it was not implemented,” he said, and kept talking about farmers’ suffering when prices dip and the subsequent lack of politicians’ response to the problem.

But here comes the google that bamboozled reporters. Raja opined that the price of tomatoes will go down if people do this: “Don’t buy/consume tomatoes for 4-5 days. It will automatically bring down the price of vegetables.”

Netizens were, of course, baffled by his statement, and also rekindled Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remark during a heated debate on onion prices in the parliament in December 2019. She had said, “I don’t eat a lot of onions and garlic.” She explained her personal food habits and family tradition that did not go down well.

Her insensitive remarks then, and Raja’s foolish ideas now, prove politicians’ cluelessness over subjects that affect the common man.