Dharamsala:
The US-based collector James Otis, who was in the news recently for auctioning a set of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings, has claimed he has rarer items of the father of the nation including his blood drops which he was ready to ",negotiate", with the Indian government to return.
These articles include the original of 'Harijan', a journal edited by Bapu, cotton clothes spun by him and his blood drops, Otis who was spotted roaming at Mcleodganj on Saturday told a section of the media in Dharamsala.
Forty five-year-old Otis, grandson of the owner of the reputed Otis Lift Company, said he has blood drops of the Mahatma collected from the site of his assassination.
He said an Indian had given Gandhijee's ashes and blood drops to a Professor in George Mason University of Virginia.
Otis, who had come here to meet the Tibetan Spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, said he has other personal items of Gandhiji like the original of the 'Harijan' journal edited by him and about 400 photographs of his collected from all over the world.
Besides, he said he has cotton clothes spun by Bapu and a few signed letters by him to friends and associates.
On March 5, a slew of articles belonging to Mahatma Gandhi including his iconic steel-rimmed spectacles, a pair of sandals, a pocket watch, a bowl and a plate were auctioned in the US on Otis' behalf, which was bought by India's liquor baron Vijay Mallya for $1.8 million.