Mahatma Gandhi's "khadi for nation" call has been carried forward as "khadi for fashion and transformation" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh at the inauguration of Delhi's first Khadi India franchise store here on Tuesday.
Reiterating Modi's words, the BJP parliamentarian representing Bihar's Nawada constituency, said that buying khadi clothing is similar to lighting a lamp in someone's house.
In October 2016 during the 37th edition of his "Mann Ki Baat" radio talk, Modi had urged the people to buy Khadi during the festive season, saying it would help poor families, "brightening the lives of the lakhs of weavers who toil day and night".
"Earlier it was Khadi for nation and Khadi for fashion but now, it is becoming Khadi for transformation" Modi had then said.
Modi had said that special emphasis will be laid by his government in promoting khadi and this set in motion an exercise by the MSME to bring it to more prominence. The inauguration of this first of its kind store in Delhi is a part of one such initiative.
Singh, known for his strong tirades against the Congress party, further used the platform to attack India's Grand Old Party, saying it "used Gandhi politically but buried his values".
"Congress took away employment from the hands of women, instead of equipping them technologically," he said.
"Employing women will increase India's GDP, and there is no better medium than Khadi for this."
He encouraged the youth to own khadi, and said it is a "not just a 'vastra' (cloth) but also a 'vichar' (thought)".
Chairman of Khadi Village and Industries Commission Vinai Kumar Saxena reiterated the ministers words, saying that the promotion of khadi has been taken forward by the Prime Minister.
The franchisee store houses a collection of village industry products and clothing for men and women, and is jointly run by two telecom distributors Amit Mathur and Amit Singh.
--IANS
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