It started off as a rumour in Old Delhi but by evening it turned into a harsh reality as salt was not available in most markets in the city.
“I don’t know how it started, but salt, which is usually sold for 25 a kg, was available for Rs 50 by afternoon. When the rumour spread by evening, it was available for only Rs. 250 and later not available at all,” said Haji Mian Fayyazuddin, a social activist in the Jama Masjid area.
With reports of salt running out, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to people not to panic. He said it was just a rumour. “Some people are spreading false rumours that sugar and salt aren’t available. This is wrong. Anyone caught hoarding basic commodities will not be spared (sic),” he tweeted.
The Delhi government’s food and civil supplies department, along with sub-divisional commissioners, inspected markets. Food Minister Imran Hussain held a meeting with officials late on Friday evening to discuss steps to curb hoarding of salt and sugar.
People claimed that the rumour started after the Income Tax department's searches in Delhi’s wholesale markets such as Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Sadar Bazar and Gandhi Nagar on Thursday. These markets were closed on Friday.
“By evening, salt was not available even in Okhla. I had sent my son to check but our local grocer told him that salt was not available in the entire area. I went to Greater Kailash and couldn’t get it there as well,” said Jalil Ahmed, an accountant and a resident of Batla House.
Even in markets such as Khan Market, Greater Kailash M-block market and Laxmi Nagar, salt wasn’t available. “Messages on social media were making the rounds in the day about shortage of salt. I went to Khan Market to get 5 kg salt as a precautionary measure but it wasn’t available,” said Nimesh Kumar, a photographer.
Locals fear that even milk, sugar, oil and other basic commodities will be affected as local grocers don’t have cash to buy new stock.
Rumour of salt shortage also hit parts of Uttar Pradesh, leading people to buy the essential commodity in panic and sending prices to soar to Rs. 200 a kg in Moradabad.
District Magistrate Suhair Bin Sagheer said reports of shortage were not true. “There were rumours that salt will be sold at higher rates. This led to panic among people today. Salt is not going to be sold for even one rupee more,” he said.
Meerut District Magistrate B. Chandrakala appealed to people not go by the rumour.
Taking cognisance of the rumours, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav directed officials to deal strictly with rumour mongers and appealed to the public to not buy salt unnecessarily.
PTI adds
Tension prevailed in southeast Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area, as residents hurled stones at police buses amid rumours of shortage of salt and hike in prices of the essential commodities. As the rumour spread, scores of people stepped out on the Kalindi Kunj-Jamia Nagar road and vandalised buses, a senior police officer said. They also threw stones at the police buses which were rushed to the spot to control the situation. Four policemen have been reportedly injured in the incident, he said. While police were trying to calm things down, a rumour spread that a trader was shot at during a fight due to shortage of salt, he said.
Police placated the residents and brought the situation under control. Additional force from a neighbouring police stations was also called in, he said.
