The women’s wing of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Monday afternoon sold tomatoes at the Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar to lodge their protest against rising prices of essential commodities including vegetables.

The Mahila Congress workers will sell brinjal on Tuesday.

Mahila Congress president Bandita Parida told The Telegraph: "This is a symbolic protest. The government is providing rice at Re 1 but the people have to buy vegetables at Rs 100 per kilo. Almost all the vegetables are being sold at a price range of Rs 80 to Rs 140. Does the government think that the people will survive by eating rice only?"

Currently, tomatoes are being sold between Rs 100 and Rs 140 at various places across the state.

Mounting a scathing attack on the Centre and the state government, Bandita said: “Both Naveen and Modi governments are responsible for the rising price of essential commodities. While the Naveen government failed to curb the rising price of vegetables, the Modi government’s refusal to reduce the petrol and diesel prices has helped in increasing the price of essential commodities. The two parties (the BJD and the BJP) are working with only one objective — to create the vote banks. No one looks after the interests of the common man.”

Bandita said: “Today, we sold one quintal of tomatoes within just one hour. We have collected money among ourselves and purchased one quintal of tomatoes at Rs 120 per kg. Later we sold it at a subsidised rate of Rs 60 per kilo. Similarly, we will sell the brinjal on Tuesday at half the price. It’s the Congress that thinks about common people and knows their needs.”

However, the Odisha government blamed the uncertain weather conditions for the increase in the price of vegetables. “The heavy rain has affected the production of the tomatoes. Besides, the import and transport of tomatoes from Bangalore have been affected. We hope things will be normalised soon,” said food supplies and consumer welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.