The Obama brief

Uttar Pradesh can throw up the unlikeliest of surprises. Even so, who would think that the US' first African-American president, Barack Obama, would be the inspiration for a brand of innerwear in this conservative state. Seen on the outskirts of Varanasi - the city that will host the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, as a candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections - were advertisements for "O-bamaa briefs for men". The advertisement claims that these briefs were manufactured by Rupa, the well-known innerwear makers. Apparently, this brand has been around since 2010 and advertisements for it have been spotted in other cities in the state as well.