Varanasi: SP worker hires bouncers to 'guard' tomatoes at his vegetable shop
Varanasi (UP), Jul 9: In an apparent attempt to score political points, an SP worker who is also a vegetable vendor purportedly hired bouncers to "protect" the produce in his store amid record high prices of tomatoes across the country.
Ajay Fauji, who runs a grocery business in the Lanka area of Varanasi, has deployed two bouncers, he says, to prevent buyers from getting aggressive while haggling the tomato prices.
Fauji had earlier cut a tomato-shaped cake in Varanasi on the birthday of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
"I kept hearing about arguments over the tomato price among people. People at my shop too tried to haggle. So to put an end to the constant arguments, I decided to deploy bouncers in uniform at my cart," Fauji told PTI.
Fauji's shop also has a placard mentioning the rising prices of commodities over the last "nine years," an apparent reference to the period the Narendra Modi-led government has been in power at the Centre.
Fauji, who is selling tomatoes at Rs 140-160 per kg, has the bouncers deployed at his cart from 9 am to 5 pm.
He refused to reveal how much he hired them for. "No one will provide bouncers free of cost."
Asked how keeping bouncers has helped him, Fauji claimed even though people are coming in same numbers, they are less militant about the pricing now.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav too shared the image of a news clip relating to Fauji and his bouncers, and tweeted, "The BJP should provide 'Z-Plus' security to tomatoes."
भाजपा टमाटर को ‘Z PLUS’ सुरक्षा दे. pic.twitter.com/k1oGc3T5LN
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 9, 2023
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
