School enrolment drive kicks off, children get bags full of Modi

Municipal authorities distributed school bags bearing Chief Minister Narendra Modi's pictures to Standard I students on Thursday, kicking off the three-day school enrolment drive named shala praveshotsav.

Each bag contained a compass box, note books, a water bottle, pencils and slates. Around 5,000 such bags were given away today.

P B Rathod, an education officer with the Surat Municipal Education Board (SMEB), said no official instructions were given to the supplier to put Modi's pictures on the school bags.

"We had only asked for simple bags of good quality," he said.

However, Raees Shaikh, a member of SMEB, said, "The municipal corporation is not a government body. We will not tolerate such mischief. We have come to know that instructions to include Modi's sketches on school bags were given by SMEB chairman Atul Patel. We have asked for an explanation.

ALSO READ

Modi addresses farmers, blames Centre for delay in Narmada gates

Astronomy buffs geared up for meteor shower

Narendra Modi dials Lalu, enquires about health after car accident

'Top cop Pandey, now on run, plotted Ishrat encounter with IB man'