On the occasion of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav's 50th birthday, workers of the party in Varanasi devised a unique way of celebrating it on Thursday by using a tomato-shaped cake and distributing tomatoes to highlights its soaring price across the country.
A Samajwadi Party worker announced that Yadav's birthday will be celebrated by the distribution of tomatoes in the area.
"It is Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s birthday today, which we always celebrate. However, this time, we are celebrating it by distributing tomatoes to highlight the inflation in the country," he said. A tomato-shaped cake will also be used on this occasion.
Retail prices of tomato skyrocketed to a high of Rs 100 per kg in some parts of India as supplies were hit due to heavy rains.
The price of the tomato has crossed Rs 100 per kg in Bengaluru and Raipur. On Wednesday, the tomato prices crossed Rs 100/kg in Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.
According to Consumer Affairs Ministry Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, the prices will start decreasing once crops from Sirmaur and Solan (Himachal Pradesh) start arriving.
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.
Tomato prices are ruling high since pre-Monsoon rains in most retail markets of the country but there has been a sharp rise in northern states due to continuous rains on Monsoon arrival.
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