West Bengal: BJP blames Mamata Banerjee for market manipulation as onion prices soar
Mahato also stated that politically connected hoarders, close to Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), are behind this crisis.
West Bengal News: The BJP has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of deliberately manipulating the state's onion market, causing prices to surge. In a letter addressed to Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP MP and West Bengal State General Secretary, Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, blamed Banerjee for the artificial inflation of onion prices.
Rising onion prices in West Bengal
Mahato's letter, titled "Mamata's Onion Scam - An Urgent Appeal to Investigate the Price Manipulation of Onions in West Bengal," claims that despite the reopening of the Jharkhand-West Bengal border, onion prices have skyrocketed from ₹45 to ₹750 per kilogram. The BJP alleges that this price hike is a deliberate result of Mamata Banerjee’s market manipulation to create an artificial scarcity.
Mahato also stated that politically connected hoarders, close to Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), are behind this crisis. These individuals, who control cold storage and wholesale supply chains, are accused of hoarding large quantities of onions and exploiting the border to drive up prices.
BJP demands immediate investigation
The BJP MP urged the Union Food Minister to launch an immediate investigation into the alleged scam. He called for tighter monitoring and regulation of the onion market in West Bengal to prevent further exploitation. As of now, the TMC has not responded to the allegations.
