Textile businessman makes Rs. 1.21 crore bid for Modi’s suit

Surat, DeshGujarat

Rajesh Juneja, a textile businessman today made a bid of Rs. 1.21 crore for Narendra Modi’s suit that Modi wore when he met American President Barack Obama in Delhi last month. Modi’s this suit and over 400 other gifts that he received in first 8 months of his term as Prime Minister of India are displayed at Science Gallery in Surat for three days during which its auction will also take place.

Juneja in reply to media persons said that he is involved in setting up an ashram and he is impressed by Shri Modi. He said he has made a bid as per his capacity. He added that if someone makes higher bid, he would challenge it with even higher bid but in Rs. 30-40 lakh range, and not beyond that.

Earlier, an NRI Viren Chokshi had made Rs. 1.11 crore bid. The suit has been displayed at Science gallery through Narendra Modi’s real-size statue. It will continue to attract bids till evening of 20th of February. Offers for Modi’s pinstripe suit started from Rs. 11 lakh and went on to Rs. 51 lakh, Rs. 1 crore, Rs. 1.11 crore and Rs. 1.21 crore by 2.00 pm. Rs. 1.21 crore offer was the fifth.

In total 455 gifts received by PM and 361 gits received by CM are in display for auction. Amount generated from auction of PM’s gifts to be donated to Namami Gange fund while ammount generated from aunction of CM’s gifts to be donated to Girl Child Education Fund. On first day, 89 offer forms were filled for CM’s gifts.Display and bidding will remain open during 9.00 am to 7.00 pm till 20th February evening.

Display of PM Narendra Modi’s monogrammed pinstripe suit with his name on and 454 other gifts that include 237 cloth/textile items, 5 glass items, 12 silver, 18 brass copper objects, 9 ceramic, 1 golden, 28 metallic, 31 wooden items and 99 photo frames is attracting large number of visitors at Science gallery.

Speaking to media persons, Surat city BJP chief and MLA Purnesh Modi said that the city is proud to host auction of gifts received by Shri Modi. He said bids are so high because the items associated with Shri Modi are invaluable. Moreover there’s a good cause behind this entire exercise. The fund collected through this auction will go for betterment of holy river Ganga. He said Shri Modi used to auction all the gifts he received when he was Chief Minister. Now when he is Prime Minister, he has continued this practice.

In reply to media, local MP Darshna Jardosh said that Surat has been chosen to host the first auction of Prime Minister’s gifts as it is one of the fastest developing city of the world.

Meanwhile Ramesh Virani, NRI who gifted pinstripe suit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a news agency that he was happy that the suit he gifted to Shri Modi is being auctioned for a good cause. He said he had gifted this suit to Shri Modi when he met him during the Vibrant Gujarat summit. He gifted it with an invitation to his son’s wedding. Shri Modi couldn’t come to his son’s wedding but he wore the suit exactly on same day when his son got wedded.

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