Auctioning of Narendra Modi suit a 'damage control' exercise: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress has criticised "an IPL-like auction" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "monographed suit worth Rs 10 lakhs" and alleged it was "a desperate damagecontrol exercise by Modi and his advisors" after wearing such a suit, "was roundly criticised by all".

Maintaining that that Prime Minister's suit being sold for crores of rupees, "will amount to a cruel joke on India's poor people", the AICC demanded the suit being a "gift to the PM' must be handed over, as per rules, to the state depository for an official evaluation of its cost".

AICC general secretary Ajay Maken told a press conference, "last month, the PM wore a suit worth Rs 10 lakhs, with his name was written all over, when he met US President Barack Obama. It seems like in damage control mode, the Prime Minister has decided to auction the suit" "This", Maken added, "raises very important questions which I think the PM or the BJP needs to answer. How can it be called a ‘private' gift? It is being given to the Prime Minister of the country. First, how can such an expensive gift be called a private gift? What exactly in return does the person gifting this expect? Secondly, there are rules and norms laid down in the statute over how gifts are to be disposed.