PM Narendra Modi's controversial name-striped suit gets Rs 1.11 crore bid in auction

A close-up view of Prime Minister Narenda Modi's dark pinstripe suit, repeatedly embroidered with the words 'Narendra                                                                           Damodardas Modi'. (Photo: Reuters)                                                                                        

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's controversial pinstripe monogrammed suit, which he wore during US President Barack Obama's visit to India in January, was put up on auction on Wednesday and a Gujrati NRI bid a whopping Rs 1.11 crore for the bandhgala.
Viral Chowksi, the NRI made the offer at the three-day auction which commenced on Wednesday (Feb 18).
The tailored suit, which was ridiculed by Modi's political opponents, will be auctioned in Gujarat along with 455 items that Modi had received as gifts during his nearly nine-month long tenure to raise money for the Prime Minister's 'Clean Ganga RPT Ganga Mission'.
"People are very generous in this area and we hope that it will raise a lot of money for a good cause," said Milind Torawane, the municipal commissioner of Surat, a port city home to the country's diamond industry, where the auction is being held.
Another businessman Suresh Aggarwal made an offer of Rs one crore for the suit. "I have offered Rs.one crore. This is work of charity and when the Prime Minister is doing for a gret cause like cleaning of Ganga, I decided to go ahead and buy the suit," he said.
Another Raju Aggarwal offered Rs 51 lakh for the suit, saying it was for a noble cause.
Modi's choice of the navy suit, which was embroidered repeatedly with his name, damaged the image of a man who in the May 2014 election had played up his humble beginnings as a tea-seller and his personal sacrifices for the country's advancement.
Political rivals, including Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who attacked Modi over his suit, said it had cost Rs 10 lakh ($16,000) and the Prime Minister should instead concentrate on delivering on his promises to the country's poorest.
According to World Bank, about a third of the world's extreme poor live in India, up from a fifth in 1981. The country lags on other social indicators such as child malnutrition.
Torawane said the government would like to raise at least Rs 30 lakh from the suit sale.
At the end of three days, the highest bidder will take away the navy blue suit.
Earlier, the first bid was made for Rs 11 lakh by a Surat-based chartered accountant Pankaj, followed by a second bid of Rs 51 lakh by Raju Agarwal, an estate dealer.
Surat City Collector Rajendra Kumar said the bidding will be closed on February 20 at 5 pm.
All the bids are to be given in written form, he said.

Source