New Delhi, Feb 29 (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who presented India's national budget for the next fiscal in the Lok Sabha on Monday, gave every bit of a competition to the fashion savvy Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a suave light blue Nehru jacket.
Jaitley, 63, wore a blue kurta -- a shade lighter than his Nehru jacket -- and white pyjama, for his look as he presented the Modi government's third budget. Standing out in his ensemble was his brown briefcase which added a dash of contrast.
The look was reminiscent of what Jaitley wore while presenting last year's budget, with slight changes in the colour tones. While the Nehru jacket that he wore in 2015 had a tad darker shade of blue, he picked a more pleasing blue for this year.
In fact, last year, famous astrologer Bejan Daruwalla had suggested that Jaitley could wear blue for the budget announcement, which sets the stage for the country's economic growth for the next fiscal.
For the day, Modi chose a crisp, pristine white kurta and pyjama with his trademark Nehru jacket style.
Over the years, several ministers have made various fashion statements on budget day.
R.K. Shanmukham Chetty, who presented Independent India's first budget in 1947, chose pinstripes, while in 1950, John Mathai chose an ultra-formal look in a three-piece grey suit, complete with a tie.
But largely, it has been the bandhgala -- a fashion fad popular among the old and the young alike -- which has ruled the roost as far as the budget day is concerned.
