Sip NaMo tea at Mani Shankar Aiyar tea stall

VADODARA: When Narendra Modi is sworn-in as Prime Minister on Monday, hot cups of NaMo tea will be given for free at a tea stall in Vadodara. Nothing irregular about that, except it's called Mani Shankar Aiyar tea stall. This is after the Congress leader Aiyar, whose throwaway line that Modi could sell tea at Congress's Talkatora session in January created much more than a tempest in a teapot, apart from dire consequences for the Congress.

Along with NaMo chai at the Aiyar tea stall, people would also be able to relish falafel - a West Asian dish of deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas. The Aiyar tea stall will be inaugurated on Faramji Road behind the railway station as soon as Modi's swearing-in ceremony begins.

"Modi has been an inspiring figure, who comes from humble origin but today holds the country's top post through sheer hard work. It is a matter of pride for us that Modi contested from Vadodara and won with a very huge margin. So, we decided to sell tea as a tribute to Modi's achievements," said Nikitin Contractor, who runs a community college in Sayajigunj.

Contractor said they named the stall as Mani Shankar Aiyar stall as the Congress leader had derided Modi by calling him a tea vendor and proclaimed that he won't ever become prime minister. "We kept the stall after his name as it is the best reply to politicians like Aiyar," Contractor said.

All passers-by will be given free tea and falafel. "Modi made a great gesture by talking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seeking deep ties with Israel. We've decided to distribute falafel to mark the beginning of warm ties between India and Israel. We hope both countries will work together for a better future," said Contractor, who is convener of Friends of Israel organization in Vadodara.