Delhi onion dealers call of strike after meeting CM

Delhi residents can hope to shed fewer tears over their onions in the next few days, the traders' associations of wholesale markets called off their strike on Wednesday after meeting chief minister Shiela Dixt.

The traders said that prices of the commodity, essential in most Indian kitchens, would ease by next week. However thanks to the strike, arrivals were drastically low on Wednesday, which might create a temporary problem for retail market today.

The traders were protesting against harassment caused by raids carried out by the income tax department on them in order to check hoarding of onions. They said they were being made to feel like criminals; and also alleged that the department was coercing them into selling onions at unviable prices.

''Why should the IT department be interested in checking hoarding?'' asked Rajendra Sharma, general secretary of the Tomato and Onion Merchants Association.

Traders from Azadpur, Gazipur and Keshopur wholesale vegetable markets called on Dikshit at her residence on Wednesday. After the meeting, the traders said that they would call off their strike with immediate effect.

It was only after chief minister Sheila Dikshit assured them that their grievances would be addressed that the traders agreed to call off their strike on Wednesday afternoon. During the meeting, Dikshit assured them that the matter would be taken up with the revenue authorities.