Samajwadi Party workers in Varanasi celebrated its chief Akhilesh Yadav's 50th birthday on Saturday by cutting a tomato-shaped cake and distributing tomatoes among people to underline its rising prices.
A party worker who organised the celebration said they could have distributed sweets but "even the sweets have become expensive" "We always celebrate the birthday of our leader with pomp. But, this time, the price rise is at an all-time high. We could have distributed sweets but even the sweets have become expensive. Tomatoes are priced at Rs 120 per kg. In our villages, we eat chapatis with tomato chutney, but even that is being snatched away from our plates," he told PTI.
"So, we are distributing tomatoes, and also cutting a cake resembling a tomato," he said.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati greeted Mr Yadav on his birthday.
"Birthday greetings to the national president of Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav. May Lord Ram give good health to you," Mr Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi.
Ms Mayawati wished Mr Yadav good health and a long life.
Akhilesh Yadav, a four-time Lok Sabha MP, is currently the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
He was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017, and a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (once) from 2012 to 2018.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
PMO Speech | Top Highlights From PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech
"Living Wall Memorial'': UP Man Tattoos Names Of 631 Soldiers On His Body Man Held For Rape Attempt In UP, BJP Claims He's Linked To Samajwadi Party Amid Bangladesh Turmoil, Akhilesh Yadav's 'Foreign Policy' Advice To Centre Nurse Raped, Killed On Way Home, Body Found 9 Days Later In UP "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool "Took Advantage Of His Addiction": 5 Charged Over Matthew Perry's Death 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan: Weather Agency Relationship With India Remains One Of Great Importance: Pentagon Kolkata Rape: Top Medical Body Announces Withdrawal Of Services On Aug 17 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.