BJP burns fingers on Modi teacups 

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) office’s decision to use disposable teacups bearing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has caused a stir when party workers realised they had been unceremoniously thrown in the dustbin after usage.

The party has now decided to stop using the teacups, claiming that they realised such a thing should not have been done in the first place.

Mukund Kulkarni, office secretary of Maharashtra BJP, confirmed that the party had used the cups on Saturday when chief minister Devendra Fadanvis was in the Maharashtra BJP’s office at Nariman Point to meet the newly elected corporators.

“We had received a sample of some 1,000 cups with Modiji’s image and we used them, however, we realised later that the cups were being thrown here and there, and we collected all of them and have kept them in a bag. They will be disposed accordingly. We will not use them again,” said Mr Kulkarni.

However, a leader who saw the cups in the dustbin claimed that irate party workers had informed the party leaders that Mr Modi’s likeness was in the dustbin and that too in the party office, after which officer bearers took action. “This shouldn’t be done again. Actually the party’s office bearers should have realised it in advance. They should not use our Prime Minister’s image on things that end up in the dustbin,” said a leader.

Mr Modi and tea are inseparable, as the leader famously acknowledges the fact that he used to sell tea before he entered politics.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha Assembly election, the BJP used the refreshment as a campaigning tool and came up with ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ stalls. In 2015, there were posters in Mumbai of a tea maker selling NaMo chai.