Bihar: Locals protest to stop auction of Rajendra Prasad's watch

Bihar News/People of the native village of country's first President Rajendra Prasad protesting against auction of his wrist watch.

Hundreds of people of native village of the country's first President Rajendra Prasad are staging a dharna on Friday to protest the auction of his 18K pink gold Rolex Oyester watch by Sotheby's in Switzerland on November 13.

"We are protesting to show our anger, and to express the failure of the Central and the State government to bring back Dr Rajendra Prasad's wristwatch back to the country," Mahender Kumar, a villager from Jiradei, the native village of Dr Prasad in Siwan district said.

Another villager Shiv Shankar Prasad told rediff.com over telephone that it is unfortunate that country's leadership failed to intervene and bring the watch back.

"The villagers have been protesting with a hope to put pressure to stop the auction," he said.

Two months ago, Tara Sinha, granddaughter of Rajendra Prasad had said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," We, the grandchildren of Rajendra Prasad, are extremely shocked to learn that the pink gold Rolex watch with a map of India on it and inscribed with it the date of our becoming a republic is being auctioned by Sotheby's Geneva." 

"It is not an ordinary watch, but a gift to the first President on the Republic Day .It is part of our national heritage," she said.

The auction house is expected to price the watch between US $2,22,000 (Rs 1,10,35,953) to $4,44,000 (Rs 22,0,69,020).