Gujarat minister weighed against blood on birthday

Surat: Gujarat Food and civil supplies Minister Narottam Patel celebrated his 77th birthday in an unusual way - getting himself weighed against blood bags on a massive weighing scale. BJP party workers and his supporters had organised blood donation camps across the city in the last couple of days to collect the blood.

They reportedly collected 70 litres of blood to counter balance the minister's 70 kg body weight on the massive weighing scale for the celebration.

On one side of the scale sat the Minister with all smiles over the novel felicitation, and on the other hand an ice box filled with blood bags was placed on Wednesday, party sources said. The minister said he felt honoured by the celebration.

Drawing parallels with freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose, Narottam Patel said, \"Give me blood I will give you freedom.\"

Drawing parallels with freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose, Patel said, he (Bose) had once said "Tum Mujhe khoon do mein tumhe azaadi doonga" (Give me blood I will give you freedom).

"I will fight for them (the people), considering that they have given me their blood," Patel said.

The blood bags collected by his supporters were handed over to various blood banks in the city.

The celebration was organised apparently to impress the Patel community, a big vote bank in poll-bound Gujarat. About two years ago, BJP leader RC Faldu was weighed against blood by his supporters.

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