New York:
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni has told NDTV that the Indian government will do everything possible to ensure that Mahatma Gandhi's belongings are brought back to India with or without auction.
She said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has, in fact, authorised the government to bid for the items if all other efforts fail.
The statement by the minister has raised fresh hopes that the Indian government may just be able to prevent Bapu's belongings from going under the hammer at an auction in New York later on Thursday.
Earlier, James Otis, the owner of the items, told NDTV that a draft agreement has been worked out with officials of the Indian consulate in New York. He said the draft proposal has been sent to New Delhi for approval and if it is given the green signal he will stop the auction from happening.
James Otis wants a substantial increase in the budget for the health care for the poor during the next decade, he wants India to sponsor a 78-nation non-violence tour on Mahatma Gandhi - an exhibit which will travel for a period of ten years.
Meanwhile, several NRIs say they are ready to jointly bid for Gandhi's belongings and donate them to India. One of them is Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal.
However the Indian government has discouraged any NRI participation as that will increase the value of the items. As a last option the embassy would participate in the auction and purchase the items 'at all costs'.