Onion Tears? Indian Finance Minister Turns Meme Bait After ‘Absurdly’ Addressing High Veggie Prices

New Delhi (Sputnik): Onions usually cost around Rs.40 ($0.56 approx.) per kg. But a poor harvest has hit supply and the surviving stock is being sold for as high as Rs.100 ($1.40 approx.) in many places – hitting consumers hard.

Onions are an important ingredient in the majority of hot and spicy Indian delicacies, but have become more of a luxury item recently due to skyrocketing prices.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently addressed the issue of surging onion prices in parliament.

In her statement, Sitharaman said that, “I don't eat much onion and garlic. I come from such a family which doesn't have much to do with onions.”

Many netizens are calling her comments “absurd” and “insensitive".

Meme-makers were quick to act and soon flooded Twitter and Instagram with a string of hilarious content, targeting the finance minister.

Several hashtags relating to the subject, including -- #SayItLikeNirmalaTai, #OnionPrices and #NirmalaSitharaman are trending on Twitter.

I don't eat onions much, so don't worry - @nsitharaman

I get free petrol as a minister, so don't worry about prices - @RamdasAthawale

GDP figure won't be useful in future - @nishikant_dubey

Maths didn't help Einstein discover gravity - @PiyushGoyal #SayItLikeNirmalaTai

— DrVinayKate (@DrVinayKate) December 5, 2019

Dear India, I am ‘over rated’!!
Stop using me as an excuse to target your Finance Minister!
She is still finding a way to tell you that economic slowdown is not recession!

Yours ‘not so affordable anymore’
Onion#SayItLikeNirmalaTai https://t.co/htJIeGdzPl

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 5, 2019

I don't eat onions !! Mere ko Kya?#SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/LqpmEcIoPK

— ThirdEyeView👓 (@Rajat_since1119) December 5, 2019

Petrol price don't affect me because

my car run on diesel. 😜😜@nsitharaman @Vishj05#SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/5bWipPI1Mm

— Political Di⏺ (@arrya19661275) December 5, 2019

Police: Helmet is compulsory, it saves you from Brain damage in case of accident.
Nirmala: I don’t have brain so I don’t care #SayItLikeNirmalaTai

— Abshar| (@Scepticindian) December 5, 2019

This is what will happen if jokers are brought to power,
For the first time in the History of Independence we are seeing such a loGic crisis 🤣🤣#SayItLikeNirmalaTai

— Shoaib (@shoaibb_05) December 5, 2019

​Angry Indians resorted to sarcasm to express their disappointment with the current condition of the country’s economy, which is being "taken care of" by Sitharaman.

This bizarre statement from Nirmala Sitharaman shows us the reality of Modi govt

🔸 Arrogance
🔸 Incompetence
🔸 Insensitive
🔸 Casteist

How can she continue? She is making India look foolish in front of the world. Fire her as FM.#SayItLikeNirmalaTaihttps://t.co/6lQFfnakcj

— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) December 5, 2019

Why is Nirmala Tai always so arrogant and irritable? Understandable that her boss messed it up pretty bad but she can surely handle questions better, noe? #SayItLikeNirmalaTai

— Ruchira Chaturvedi (@RuchiraC) December 5, 2019

Dear @nsitharaman,

It doesn't matter whether you like onions or not. What matter is people are suffering because of it. Do something about it or resign. Your arrogance is absolutely against the interest of the nation.#SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/W5pl6tlGHl

— Mango Man #BanPlastic (@MangoManBR) December 5, 2019

India’s opposition party Congress also joined in the meme-fest.

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who was released on bail after over 100 days on Wednesday and joined the parliament first time today in the ongoing Winter Session, also took a dig at the current Finance Minister Sitharaman’s “don’t eat onion” comment with a question, “Does she eat avocado?”

The jokes go onion & on & on... #EkThiEconomy #SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/Acnkhw2dqn

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 5, 2019

Amit Shah's version of democracy: If you can't beat them buy them. #SayItLikeNirmalaTai#EkThiEconomy pic.twitter.com/LeLwiatmMa

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 5, 2019

कुछ दिन तो गुजारिए विदेश में।
प्रदूषण भूल जाएंगे वहां की ऐश में।।#EkThiEconomy #SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/Gpgmbb1dTa

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 5, 2019

I don't use much logic so don't worry, I come from a party where logic doesn't hold much value: When @PiyushGoyal wants to #SayItLikeNirmalaTai#EkThiEconomy pic.twitter.com/lomFU7jhlD

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 5, 2019

​Amid the rising onion crisis in the country, the government on Wednesday revealed that state-run trading firm MMTC has already placed another onion import order of 4,000 tonnes from Turkey, with deliveries expected by mid-January.

Previously, 17,090 tonnes of onions were contracted from Egypt and Turkey.