Cong, BJP attack Delhi govt on soaring onion prices, AAP says will resume selling at subsidised rate

Delhi Congress leaders and workers wearing onion garlands hit the streets and BJP's Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijender Gupta met Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday over the skyrocketing prices of the commodity in city markets.

Gupta alleged that there has been an "onion scam" in Delhi and demanded a probe into it.

Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of being "in league" with hoarders and held it responsible for high onion prices.

However, the Delhi government has asked officials to resume selling onions at subsidised rates through mobile vans.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said the BJP and the Congress should first give an example where they have distributed onions through mobile vans in the states ruled by them.

The AAP government had been selling onions, procured from the Centre, at a subsidised rate of Rs 23.90 per kg but when the prices stabilised it stopped because people complained about the quality of onions, Bhardwaj said. "They were rotten," he told PTI over phone.

As the prices have again started escalating, "we have already requested the Central government to provide us onions which are good in quality", he said.

"We are expecting the central government or the NAFED ( National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) to provide us 10 lorries or 10 truck loads of onions per day. However, like last time, we are concerned that the Central government will provide us only one truck load of onion per day and as soon by November 8 we will start getting that supply and start distributing it."