Aam aadmi cannot get food at prices quoted by politicians

All those who have been clamouring for a raise - from salaried people to children with pocket money woes to mendicants - have to be redirected to politicians who claim food is actually cheap.

After all, their demands ring hollow if, indeed , as veteran Kashmiri leader Farooq Abdullah avers, meals can be had from Re 1 to Rs 100, Congressman Rasheed Masood insists Delhi’s Jama Masjid area provides hearty meals for Rs 5, and actor-politician Raj Babbar says it costs precisely Rs 12 in Mumbai.

They may have drawn their conclusions on meal prices from the subsidised canteen within the hallowed precincts of Parliament and probably in the Vidhan Sabha buildings, which have items for less than a fiver.

But as such eateries are out of bounds for the aam aadmi, their rate lists are unfortunately irrelevant.

Unless, of course, MPs and MLAs agree to rub shoulders with their commoner compatriots to queue up for this affordable fare. Alternatively, the three gentlemen - and others who share similar views - can put their money where their mouths are and open up eateries all over India with the prices they mention.

Even if it spells doom for the roadside vendors who cannot realistically match those magic prices, it could turn out to be a more practical way of ensuring food security than the cumbersome rollout currently being cooked up.