Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that the Centre will take all possible measures for putting off the auction of a wrist watch owned by former president Rajendra Prasad.
"I refer to your (Nitish's) letter regarding the proposed auction of a Rolex gold watch originally owned by Rajendra Prasad. I share the concerns you have expressed," Singh said in a letter, released to the press here today.
"It has been brought to my notice earlier and I had asked the ministries concerned to take appropriate steps," Singh said in the letter, adding, the Ministry of Culture and External Affairs had succeeded in putting off the auction of the watch which was proposed to be held on November 13. Singh said he had asked both the ministries to pursue the matter and be in touch with the family of India's first president.
"Therefore, I assure you that Centre will take all possible measures in this regard," he added. Auction house Sotheby's had postponed the sale of the Rolex wrist watch following a request by Indian authorities to not put it under the hammer in Geneva. The watch, possibly gifted to Prasad on the first Republic Day in 1950, was estimated to fetch between USD 222,000 and 444,000.