New Delhi: The auction of Father of India Mahatma Gandhi's belongings in England has triggered rumbles of discontent within the ruling Indian political establishment. A senior minister in the federal United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has expressed surprise at the government's silence over what he called the ‘unfortunate' sale of Gandhi's precious belongings. “So far as Gandhiji is concerned, I have already said I am not in favor of what has happened in England,” Union Minister for Health and family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad told media persons on Wednesday. “It is unfortunate. We do not want Gandhiji's items to be sold. They are precious,” he added. An auction in London saw Gandhi's memorabilia going under the hammer, including his iconic round-rimmed glasses as well as a pinch of soil and blood-stained blades of grass, from the place where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, which were sold for GBP 10,000. Earlier even Congress President Sonia Gandhi said she was unhappy with the government inaction over the auction. India's civilian award winner and a leading Hindi writer Giriraj Kishore has also pledged to return his award, in protest against the government's inaction. These priceless memorabilia had for long been preserved by a Kerala-based Gandhian, Antony Chittattukara. Anthony said he put the items up for auction because he felt they would end up in safe hands. Earlier there were even court cases that sought to prevent Anthony from going ahead with the auction, with petitioners claiming that the artifacts should instead be kept at the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat, where Gandhi stayed for many years and has already host of most of the memorabilia of Gandhi, who is India's most revered freedom fighter.
