Recently, South Korean President Moon Jae-in unwittingly stirred a massive debate on micro-blogging site Twitter when he shared a photo of himself wearing what he described as a ‘Modi vest’.

“Prime Minister @narendramodi of India sent me some gorgeous garments. These are modernized versions of traditional Indian costume, known as the ‘Modi Vest’, that can also be worn easily in Korea. They fit perfectly,” he wrote.

 

 

Almost immediately, Twitter was up in arms stating that what Jae-in was wearing was not a ‘Modi vest’ but a Nehru jacket.

 

 

However, NDTV reports that Bipin Chauhan, managing director of JadeBlue Lifestyle India (the company that sent the jackets to Jae-in) has come up with a rebuttal.

“Originally, these were ‘bandhgala’ (closed neck) jackets. They were worn by Nehru and even Sardar Patel. But the ones we sell are Modi Jackets. It is a bit longer and more comfortable in fit than Nehru Jackets,” Chauhan said, reports the news website. He also added that these jackets were different from the Nehru jackets as PM Modi preferred a more varied colour palette.

“In the past, these jackets, worn by Nehru and Sardar, were considered premium apparel for the elite. Now Modiji has popularised them among the masses,” he added.