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| Congress critical of Modi's gifts coming under hammer for a noble cause | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 21: To the supporters of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi,and to those who are keenly awaiting the implementation of clean ganga programme criticism of Modi's plan on auctioning all those items which he had received from foreign dignitaries and from his staunch supporters sounds ludicrous and unwarranted. Senior Congress leader, Ajay maken,who lost the recent assembly election in delhi despite having been projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate cited various procedures while lambasting modi for having accepted gifts from dignitaries and from people maken opened his mouth After Narendra Modi's monogrammed suit which he wore during US President Barack Obama's visit got a Rs 1.21 crore bid,Hed would have lost his cool had he been told in advance that the suit would be auctioned for Rs.4.31 crores. Congress termed the auction an exercise to repair the "damage" caused to his reputation. It also alleged that the PM violated rules by accepting the gift and demanded that the auction be called off immediately.
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken quoted provisions of the code of conduct for ministers to argue that Modi violated rules. According to the code, he said, no minister can accept "valuable gifts except from close relatives". While gifts worth less than Rs 5,000 can be retained by the minister, if there is any doubt over the estimated value of the gift, the matter should be referred to Toshakhana (depository) for valuation. "If it exceeds Rs 5,000, then the recipient will have the option to purchase it from the Toshakhana by paying the difference between the value as assessed by the Toshakhana and Rs 5000… All these procedures have been violated," Maken said claiming that the suit was worth Rs 10 lakh.
Referring to reports that a Surat businessman has claimed that he had gifted the suit to Modi, Maken said the PM should explain why the gift was offered to him and why he accepted it.?
Well Modi would have attracted criticism had he made a personal use of these gifts.He would have invited ridicule had he distributed these gifts among his relations and known supporters.He could have done so without attracting any attention and that too from the Congress which had not made a note of what gifts Modi had received.Let Ajay Maken cite any example where a recipient of valuable gifts had auctioned them for a noble cause.Credit should be given to Modi that he put over 445 gifted items on auction and given the huge number of gifts the Congress general secretary would have not known them and their names or value.
Yes, Ajay Maken has a point.If the suit gifted to Modi by a businessman costs Rs.10 lakhs one needs to know why the businessman spent so so much money on a gift to Modi.Luckily the businessman has stated that when he went to Modi for inviting him to attend his(businessman) son's wedding he carried the suit instead of a packet of sweets.He was quite satisfied and happy that even when Modi did not turn up on the wedding of the businessman's son the Prime Minister had worn the suit the day the businessman's son was to tie the knot.This had given immense satisfaction to the businessman.
Despite this explanation Maken smells a rat in the entire issue.And rightly or wrongly the BJP leadership has adopted reticence on Maken;'s allegations because it believes that the charges leveled by the Congress leader were frivolous.
Yes, the Congress is supposed to function as an opposition party is supposed to function.But Maken seems to believe in the old dage of opposition for the sake of opposition.He should have appreciated Modi for adopting an innovative plan on auctioning all the gifts he had rbeceived during the last nine months so that whatever money was collected could be used on clean Ganga programme.
India is a large country and highly populated nation.Still the nation could have not raised over Rs.two crores in a day or so for funding a massive project aimed at cleaning the Ganga river. |
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