Cobbler rejects Rs 10 lakh offer for slipper stitched by Rahul

Sultanpur : Cobbler Ram Chet said he was offered Rs 10 lakh for a slipper stitched by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but he turned down the deal and he would like to keep the "lucky" footwear in glass frame.

The cobbler also said officials from various government departments also reached out to him to enquire about his problems ever since the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha made a surprise visit to his humble shop in the Vidhayak Nagar area on outskirts of Sultanpur, turning Chet into a local celebrity.

Gandhi briefly stopped at Chet's shop on July 26 in Sultanpur and spoke to him about his family and his problems. During this, Gandhi also tried his hand at stitching a footwear and pasting a shoe.

Chet now says Gandhi's visit has dramatically changed his fortunes, bringing him into the limelight. 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 that of Rs 10 lakh. Someone from Pratapgarh called me , 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 has become a partner in my shop." "By sitting in my shop and stitching a slipper, Gandhi has become my partner," he further explained.

Chet said he has been getting an increased attention from government officials since Gandhi's visit.

"After Rahul Gandhi visited my shop, officials from various government departments have started coming to enquire about my problems," he said.