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
— DrVinayKate (@DrVinayKate) December 5, 2019
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
Dear India, I am ‘over rated’!!
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 5, 2019
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
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
— Political Di⏺ (@arrya19661275) December 5, 2019
my car run on diesel. 😜😜@nsitharaman @Vishj05#SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/5bWipPI1Mm
Police: Helmet is compulsory, it saves you from Brain damage in case of accident.
— Abshar| (@Scepticindian) December 5, 2019
Nirmala: I don’t have brain so I don’t care #SayItLikeNirmalaTai
This is what will happen if jokers are brought to power,
— Shoaib (@shoaibb_05) December 5, 2019
For the first time in the History of Independence we are seeing such a loGic crisis 🤣🤣#SayItLikeNirmalaTai
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
— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) December 5, 2019
🔸 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
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,
— Mango Man #BanPlastic (@MangoManBR) December 5, 2019
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
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।
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 5, 2019
प्रदूषण भूल जाएंगे वहां की ऐश में।।#EkThiEconomy #SayItLikeNirmalaTai pic.twitter.com/Gpgmbb1dTa
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.
