Trinamool MP eats raw brinjal to highlight pain over LPG price hike

Trinamool Congress member Lok Sabha Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, participating in a debate in the house on Monday. pulled out a raw brinjal and bit it to show the plight of common people due to hike in the prices of LPG (cooking gas) cylinders.

"Do they want us to eat raw vegetables," she said, targetting the government in a debate on price rise initiated by Congress member Manish Tewari.

Dastidar said that the cost of LPG has risen from Rs 600 to Rs 1,100 per cylinder which has disturbed the budget of a household.

Beginning the debate, Tewari had said that during the past 14 months, the inflation rate has been in double digits, making it the highest in 30 years.

He also noted that GST has been increased on daily items like rice, curd, paneer and unfortunately, even the children have not been spared as stationary prices have also gone up. Speaking in Hindi, he concluded the debate with a Punjabi couplet saying that since demonetisation, the country's economy is on a downward trajectory.

Defending the government, BJP's Nishikant Dubey said in the neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan, the inflation is rising and so is unemployment, but "despite such a bad situation in India, the poor are still getting two-time meal for free..."