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Modi suit auction in name of Ganga
Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s famous \'name-striped\' jacket stole the show at the three-day charity auction that began here on Wednesday, with a businessman bidding around Rs.1.21 crore for the attire. Sported by Modi when US President Barack Obama visited India in January, the suit was among the 450 items that went under the hammer on Wednesday, evoking huge enthusiasm among people.
Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's famous 'name-striped' jacket stole the show at the three-day charity auction that began here on Wednesday, with a businessman bidding around Rs.1.21 crore for the attire. Sported by Modi when US President Barack Obama visited India in January, the suit was among the 450 items that went under the hammer on Wednesday, evoking huge enthusiasm among people.
A local BJP leader Raju Agarwal set the ball rolling at the auction with a Rs 51 lakh bid. But he was soon overtaken by diamond merchant Suresh Aggrawal, who made a bid of one crore rupees for the special suit which hogged the headlines even in the foreign media in January. Soon, Aggrawal was shunted behind by an NRI Viral Choksi, who raised the bid to Rs 1.21 crore for the suit which is to be finally declared "sold" on Friday when the auction ends.
The suit, which drew global attention, has been designed by Ahmedabad designer Ramesh Kumar of Jade Blue, Modi's regular tailor, and it had the name 'Narendra Damodardas Modi' woven into it in glittering gold letters. Gujarati NRI businessman Ramesh Kumar Bhikabhai Virani has claimed that he had gifted the suit. "I presented the suit to him (PM Modi) while extending an invitation to him to attend my son's wedding on January 26," he said..
The controversial suit became the centre of a huge media attention after it was said to cost at least Rs 10 lakh. "I can confirm that what is being said about its cost is not correct," Virani said. The suit kicked up a political row with Opposition parties accusing the Prime Minister of indulging in 'narcissism' and questioned how a person with such humble beginnings could afford the expensive suit, reportedly costing around one million rupees.
Modi's colleagues in the Cabinet had also reportedly advised him to give the suit to an NGO for auction and use the money for the PM's pet Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The money generated from the auction will be donated to a Varanasi NGO, sources said. During the acrimonious Delhi Assembly election campaign, 'mufflerman' Kejriwal became the quintessential middle-class hero while 'Pradhansevak' Modi was accused of strutting around in an expensive 'name suit'.
"This is clear proof that Ambani sponsored this suit. How can the PM wear something like that? I am Gareeb Max. Vote for honesty, vote for freedom, vote for free WIFI!" AAP leader Kejriwal had tweeted. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also took a swipe at Modi's Make In India campaign and claimed that the suit was made in the UK.
The suit is among 450 other items which went on sale on Wednesday at the SMC Science Convention Centre. They were gifted to Modi after he became Prime Minister and the money will go towards the Prime Minister's Clean Ganga Mission. They include one gold article, 13 silver, 46 brass-copper-metallic artefacts, 14 ceramic and glass items, 31 wooden articles, 99 picture frames, 237 pieces of clothing and 14 miscellaneous items. During his days as Gujarat Chief Minister, Modi had made it a tradition of sorts to auction such gifts for charity and had raised Rs 95 crore in his 13 years in the saddle.
