#SayItLikeNirmalaTai trends on Twitter after Finance Minister says she doesn’t eat onions, leaves netizens in splits

Nirmala Tai’s statement brought tears to the eyes of many.

By ET Online | Dec 06, 2019, 12.27 PM IST

#SayItLikeNirmalaTai trends on Twitter after Finance Minister says she doesn’t eat onions, leaves netizens in splits

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is the eye of the storm, yet again. The 60-year-old Finance Minister, while debating the steep rise in onion prices during a session in the Lok Sabha, said that she comes from a family that doesn’t eat onion and garlic.

Her remark, suggestive of her Brahmin roots, was in response to an MP who asked her "Do you eat onions?", while she was addressing NCP leader and MP Supriya Sule’s question on the increasing prices of the vegetable.

The sharp increase in onion prices in the country has brought tears to many. The price of the vegetable has reached Rs 150/kg in some cities and the common man is struggling to make ends meet.

Sitharaman’s remark during this crisis set Twitter ablaze as one-liners, memes poking fun at the MP, as well as criticism started pouring in.

Some Twitter users started applying Sitharaman’s logic to everyday situations and came up with witty one-liners.

Nirmala Sitharaman doesn't care about the economy because she doesn't travel economy class. #SayItLikeNirmalaTai
— PuNsTeR™ (@Pun_Starr) 1575486555000

I don't eat onions much, so don't worry - @nsitharaman I get free petrol as a minister, so don't worry about pric… https://t.co/6vnVOcxBe9
— DrVinayKate (@DrVinayKate) 1575518351000

Police: Helmet is compulsory, it saves you from Brain damage in case of accident. Nirmala: I don’t have brain so I… https://t.co/l9WYfUSTFw
— Abshar| (@Scepticindian) 1575523120000

Mujhe doctor banana hi nahi toh why should I read Biology ? ~ Said a 9th standard boy #SayItLikeNirmalaTai ��
— krishna..... (@Sunderbann) 1575495432000

@Pun_Starr Pragya Thakur doesn't attend parties because she already had a blast. #SayItLikeNirmalaTai
— Sarthak Goswami (@SarthakGoswamii) 1575487916000

Twitterati got their creative juices flowing and made some hilarious memes on the Minister.

#SayItLikeNirmalaTai People: Nirmala tai: Onion prices are I don't care bcz rising e… https://t.co/FfcJncHHv4
— Rebellious flower �� (@flawsome_guy) 1575555587000

@flawsome_guy @EpicRoflDon @tirangawasi @GodiMediaKaPapa @dimwittedjoker @flufy_brown_grl Catch it �� https://t.co/tCO5c0T4y4
— Fakire-ऐ-Azam (@Fakir_hu) 1575555705000

Nirmala tai: 'I don't care about onions because I don't eat them.' Nirmala tai in front of the mirror to herself l… https://t.co/YfpJEqMj7V
— Bhartiya Socrates (@ind_pol_noob) 1575514892000

After the trend started gaining traction online, some users came out in support of Sitharaman,and took to the micro-blogging site to upload the full video of her interaction in the Lok Sabha, saying that her comment was taken out of context.

This isn’t the first time Sitharaman has gone viral for her comments on issues affecting the economy. The last time the hashtag #SayItLikeNirmalaTai went viral on Twitter was when she blamed millennials’ use of Ola and Uber for the slowdown in the auto industry.

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