World

Indian diamond trader buys Modi suit for $700,000

Bespoke wool suit with Narendra Damodardas Modi" woven into pinstripe proved a hot ticket at the three-day auction

Afp February 20, 2015

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Barack Obama. PHOTO: AFP

AHMEDABAD, INDIA: A diamond trader from Narendra Modi's home state on Friday won the bidding for the personalised pinstriped suit the Indian prime minister wore to meet US President Barack Obama, tendering nearly $700,000 at a charity auction.

The bespoke wool suit with the words "Narendra Damodardas Modi" woven into the pinstripe proved a hot ticket at the three-day auction, sparking a bidding war that pushed the price up to INR43.1 million ($692,000).

The suit was among more than 450 lots put up for auction by Modi in the city of Surat in his home state of Gujarat.

Modi has won a reputation as a fashion icon for his sometimes daring sartorial choices.

But wearing a suit with his own name on it was seen by many as a step too far, drawing accusations of narcissism -- possibly the reason Modi decided to sell it off.

The money raised will go towards cleaning up the holy Ganges river -- a pet project of India's Hindu nationalist prime minister.

Winning bidder Lalji Patel, owner of the Dharmanandan diamond company, said he had wanted to do something for his country.

"Buying this suit was all I wanted. It feels good to know that the money will go towards the cleaning of the holy river," he told reporters.

COMMENTS (6)

coffee | 9 years ago | Reply @chai: with regards to your comment: "in India we do not see people through the lense of religion & neither should you" , tribune got this news article from AFP same article published on other sites such as daily mail UK , http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2961990/Indian-diamond-trader-buys-Modi-suit-700-000.html Get your facts right before assuming that it was just tribune who specifically refered to Modi as "Hindu".

chai | 9 years ago | Reply @Sandy Kumar: Dude are you like dim wit .. "The money raised will go towards cleaning up the holy Ganges river" . A clean river bring prosperity to it's inhabitants, esp the downtrodden ones. Also Dear tribune, stop referring Modi as "Hindu ... " in India we do not see people through the lense of religion & neither should you.

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Sandy Kumar | 9 years ago | Reply Such a waste of money, if given to the poor will be appreciated instead of investing in spreading violence.

Mohammad Ali Siddiqui | 9 years ago | Reply Modi wore the pinstriped suit to impress US President Obama during his recent visit to India, but then probably he changed his mind to sell the suit after thinking that former President of Egypt Hoseni Mubarak also use to wear pinstriped suits due to which bad luck caught him and Hoseni Mubarak was thrown out of the government and faced the consequences

devindersingh | 9 years ago | Reply PM modi has been optioned these gift from last 13 year for girls child education, to help for dalit and minority childerns, last time when he was elected as a PM and before leave for delhi, he gave his 27lakh saving to his peons girls education, this suit was gifted by his friend son,modi s very simple man, we are happy that he is our prime minister,

qwerty | 9 years ago | Reply The money will go towards the clean-up of the Ganges This is exactly the reason why Indians have so much of faith in this man, this is why we place him above any prism of doubt or uncertainity. This man, lives for India. I have too many disagreements with him, but he his honestly and integrity is absolutely unquestionable

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