In a serious discussion in parliament about mudra loans and onion prices, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman made an off the cuff remark that has overtaken any serious news and facts on the issue.
NCP MP Supriya Sule asked Sitharaman in Parliament about the crisis for onion farmers and the high prices of onions for consumers: "Why has the production gone down?" asked Sule. She went on to explain that the onion farmers are small time farmers and asked whether they got a poor minimum support price when the onion prices were low, which could explain why production has gone down.
The price of onions has crossed over Rs 100 per kg and India has begun to import onions from Egypt to tide over the crisis. Sule said, "I'm not happy eating Egyptian onions."
When Sitharaman rose to answer the question, someone in parliament shouted out loud to her: "Do you eat onions?"
To which, Sitharaman replied that she doesnt eat a lot of garlic and onion. "I come from a family that didnt care much for onions."
Sitharaman was making a reference to her Brahmin family roots, where for many modern day Brahmins, onions and garlic along with meat, are not considered good foods to eat.

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