‘Carry Onion, Skip ACs’: Jyotiraditya Scindia Cites ‘Chambal Skin’ In Unusual Advice to Beat Summer Heat | WATCH

New Delhi: With much of India currently reeling under a severe heatwave, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia made waves on Sunday by suggesting a traditional folk cure for the sweltering weather while on a three-day visit to Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.

While inaugurating a new tehsil building in Pichhore, Scindia offered an unusual piece of advice and suggested that residents should carry an onion to shield themselves from the region's soaring temperatures.

Explaining his personal routine, Scindia told the gathering, "I look a little young, but my soul is very old. Keep an onion in your pocket."

"Nothing will happen to you. And in today's times, everyone is carrying boxes. The communication minister is carrying onions. These are old things. And as Ayurveda progresses, we shouldn't forget these things," he said.

Avoid AC comment

The comment has sparked both curiosity and debate, coming at a time when much of the country is grappling with a severe and unrelenting heatwave.

Scindia further stressed how he avoids air conditioning even in extreme summer heat, describing it as part of having "Chambal skin."

"I don't use air conditioning in my car, nor do I sit in an air-conditioned environment. And when people ask me, even in the 51-degree heat of May and June, I say, 'This is Chambal skin.' And let me tell you something else: I look a little young, but my soul is very old. Keep an onion in your pocket. Nothing will happen to you," he said.

He also referred to traditional practices, adding that such methods should not be forgotten as modern lifestyles evolve.

Extreme summer heatwave

Scindia’s comments come at a time when the India Meteorological Department warned of heatwave conditions across several parts of the country.

IMD said that maximum temperatures are in the range of 40-46 degrees Celsius over most parts of the country, except the western Himalayan region, northeast Bihar and northeast India, where temperatures remain below 36 degrees Celsius.

The weather agency further informed that the highest maximum temperature of 46.9 degrees Celsius was recorded at Akola.

The India Meteorological Department forecasted heat wave to severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh on April 26 and heat wave conditions on April 27.

The weather department said heat wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Jammu and Kashmir on April 26 and 27, and across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat during the same period, with similar conditions expected over parts of Chhattisgarh till April 28.

Hot and humid weather conditions are also very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Tripura, coastal Maharashtra and coastal areas of Gujarat on April 26, while such conditions are expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Kerala during the specified period. 

Also Read: Inside the India-New Zealand FTA: $20 Billion Cash, 5,000 Job Visas, and the Zero-Tax Export Win