File photo of Neeraj Chopra and Narendra Modi.
The gifts presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and Paralympic gold medal-winner Sumit Antil are up for grabs in an e-auction.
Neeraj became the first Indian track and field Olympic champion to win a gold medal for the country. A few days later, Antil also struck gold at the Paralympics.
PM Modi is giving chance to bag the memorabilia to all the countrymen that hold a special place for the nation. One signed hockey stick was presented by the Indian women's hockey team which includes signatures of Rani Rampal, Savita Punia, Navjot Kaur, Gurjit Kaur and the other members of the team is also up for the auction.
From September 17 to October 7, the third edition of e-auction will be held through the web portal https://pmmementos.gov.in. The replicas of the other artifacts including Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Chardham, Rudraksh Convention Centre, models, sculptures, paintings, angavastras among others will be also available for the auction.
Javelins used by 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra and Sumit Antil in the 2020 Tokyo Paraympicsare with the highest base price at Rs one crore each. The small-sized decorative elephant is the lowest-priced item for Rs. 200. Boxing gloves used and signed by Lovlina Borgohain is also available for auction.
The badminton racket autographed by the Paralympic Gold Medalist Krishna Nagar is also in the bid. Also, there is a table tennis racket signed by the Paralympic silver medalist, Bhavina Patel.
According to PIB, proceeds from the e-auction shall go to the Namami Gange Mission aimed at conserving and rejuvenating Ganga.
According to the statement, Narendra Modi is the first-ever Prime Minister of India, who has decided to auction all the gifts he receives for a noble cause of conserving the lifeline of the country -- the river Ganges through "NamamiGange".
The PM has often described Ganga as a symbol of the country's cultural glory and faith, and that from the point of the river's origin at Gaumukh in Uttarakhand to where it merged with the sea in West Bengal, the mighty river enriched the lives of half of the country's population.
