Cobbler Ram Chet says he was offered Rs 10 lakh for a slipper stitched by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but turned down the deal, opting to keep the “lucky” footwear in a glass frame. Since the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha made a surprise visit to his humble shop in the Vidhayak Nagar area on the outskirts of Sultanpur, Chet has become a local celebrity. Officials from various government departments have also reached out to him to inquire about his problems.
Watch Rahul Gandhi stitching slippers below:
#WATCH | Congress MP & LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi meets and interacts with a cobbler during his visit to UP's Sultanpur pic.twitter.com/gwEhvGuJ95
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2024
Gandhi briefly stopped at Chet’s shop on July 26 and spoke to him about his family and issues. During the visit, Gandhi also tried his hand at stitching and pasting a shoe. Chet says Gandhi’s visit has dramatically changed his fortunes, bringing him into the limelight. “My world has completely changed. Nobody knew me before, but now people come to my shop and take selfies with me,” he said.
Regarding the slipper stitched by Gandhi, Chet said, “I have received many calls from people wanting to buy that slipper. The highest offer I have received so far is Rs 10 lakh. Someone from Pratapgarh called me on Tuesday, offering Rs 5 lakh for the slipper. When I refused, they increased the offer to Rs 10 lakh. I told them I won’t sell it as the slipper is lucky for me.”
Asked what he plans to do with the slipper, he said, “I will frame it in glass and keep it in my shop. Rahul Gandhi has become a partner in my shop.” He further explained, “By sitting in my shop and stitching a slipper, Rahul Gandhi has become my partner.” Chet noted that he has been receiving increased attention from government officials since Gandhi’s visit. “After Rahul Gandhi visited my shop, officials from various government departments have started coming to inquire about my problems,” he said.
The Congress leader had come to Sultanpur to appear before an MP-MLA court in a defamation case against him. Local BJP leader Vijay Mishra had filed the complaint on August 4, 2018, against Gandhi for his alleged objectionable comments about Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a press conference in Bengaluru in May 2018 during the Karnataka elections.