Gujarat Food and Civil Supplies Minister Narottam Patel turned 77 amidst a novel celebration, where he was weighed with blood on a weighing scale decorated with flowers on Wednesday.
The celebration was organised apparently to impress the Patel community, a big vote bank in the election-bound Gujarat.
BJP party workers and his supporters for last couple of days had organised a blood donation camp across Surat.
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They reportedly collected 70 litres of blood to counter balance the minister’s 70 kg body weight on the massive weighing scale, for the bizarre celebration.
On one side of the scale sat the Minister with all smiles over the novel felicitation, and on the other hand an ice box filled with blood bags was placed, party sources said.
Buoyed by the act, the minister said he felt honoured.
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Trying to draw mileage from the celebration, the minister drew parallels with freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose and stated that he (Bose) had once said Tum Mujhe khoon do mein tumhe azaadi doonga (Give me blood, I’ll give you freedom). “I will fight for them (the people), considering that they have given me their blood,” Mr. Patel said.
The blood bags collected by his supporters were handed over to various blood banks in Surat.
Earlier, in a similar show of strength, BJP leader R.C. Faldu was weighed with blood by his supporters about two years ago, sources said.