Varanasi grocer, a Samajwadi Party worker, hires bouncers to guard tomatoes

Varanasi (UP): A vegetable seller in the Lanka area of Varanasi has deployed two bouncers to prevent buyers from getting aggressive while haggling the tomato prices, which have soared almost across the country, virtually making them a luxury item.

Ajay Fauji, a Samajwadi Party worker, 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, who is selling tomatoes at Rs 140-160 per kg, has bouncers deployed at his cart from 9 am to 5 pm.

He, however, refused to reveal how much he hired them for. "No one will provide bouncers free of cost." Asked how keeping bouncers at his cart has helped him, Fauji said 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."