Auctioning of suit PM Narendra Modi's way of 'giving' for public cause: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was auctioning his monogrammed suit in order to raise funds for public causes, adding that he had undertaken many such sales during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister.

"The Prime Minister has given a message that whatever is coming through public cause, should go for the public cause. Even when he was chief minister he has auctioned all the personal gifts given to him and then the entire money, which was to the best of my knowledge more than Rs 90 crores, has been given to the development funds of the tribal areas," said BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi.

"This time he is giving the entire money to the 'Namaami Gange' projects. So this is our mindset. The Congress party is trying to make an issue out of this," he added.

The Congress party had earlier raised objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monogrammed suit being called a 'private' gift and alleged that the latter was auctioning it in 'damage control mode'.

Party leader Ajay Maken also stated the rules stipulate that the country's Prime Minister cannot hold such an auction and also questioned the motives of Rameshkumar Bhikabhai Virani, the man who gave the suit to Prime Minister Modi.

The Prime Minister's monogrammed pinstripe suit with his name on it which he wore during US President Barack Obama's visit to India last month is being auctioned in Surat today and the proceeds will go to the Namaami Gange Trust Fund.