Governance

RTI: PM Narendra Modi, ex-PM Dr. Manmohan Singh celebrated Diwali from own pockets

By Quaid Najmi

Posted on January 7, 2025

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Mumbai/New Delhi, Jan. 07 (BigWire): Setting a national example, current Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ex-PM Dr. Manmohan Singh never dipped into government coffers for Diwali celebrations during their tenures in power, a RTI reply has revealed.

Instead, both Modi and Dr. Singh utilized their own resources for Diwali revelries or gifts, indicates the RTI reply from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to Pune social worker Prafful Sarda.

 “Dr. Singh, during his tenure in power of 10 years (2004-2014), and Modi from 2014-2024 – who’s now in his third term – didn’t avail any funds from the state exchequer for marking their Diwali celebrations or gifting,” Sarda told BigWire.

In November 2024, Sarda had sought annual details of the Diwali festival spendings by ex-PM Dr. Singh – who passed away on Dec. 26 – plus, current PM, in their respective years in power and after some struggle, got the revert from PMO.

“Personal expenses of the PM are not borne on Government account,” PMO Under Secretary and CPIO, Parvesh Kumar, informed tersely.

“This response is indeed a revelation as PM Modi is presently facing flak for making an expensive gift to the US First Lady, Jill Biden in 2023,” Sarda remarked.

Modi’s lavish gift – a USD 20,000 worth glittering diamond – to the wife of the outgoing US President Joe Biden, triggered a backlash in India after the US media recently exposed that it ranked as the most expensive largesse (in 2023) of any foreign dignitary to the US First Family.

Under rapid fire from a hostile Opposition, the government sought – albeit unsuccessfully – to downplay the embarrassing fracas that erupted in its face, just ahead of the US President-elect Donald Trump’s second Inauguration on Jan. 20.

Sarda said that although the PM was a spendthrift for a foreign dignitary, he was thrifty as far as festival spending was considered for an auspicious and biggest Hindu festival like Diwali – echoing the sentiments of many.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the RTI reply is misleading as the Bharatiya Janata Party, its top leaders and ministers have always frittered away national resources for their gains.

“However, as far as Dr. Singh is concerned, this is believable, but not for Modi,” said Raut dismissively, in a swipe at the PMO’s RTI disclosure.

Incidentally, since Jan. 2019, the Indian government auctions off the gifts-mementos received by the PM, with around 600 disposed of, in Sep-Oct 2024.

The earnings so far – totaling to around Rs 50 crore – are ploughed back into Modi’s pet public projects, including the ongoing River Ganga rejuvenation schemes.

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