Having previously gone viral for his "petrol langar" initiative, Rakesh Trehan is now giving away flagship smartphones. His latest giveaway will select 10 winners from an initial pool of 1,000 participants, with the names drawn publicly in the presence of the media, Trehan told PTI.
The initial round is open only to residents of Chandigarh and Mohali. Trehan said the winner selection would take place "live... in front of everyone."
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No iPhone 16, Only 17 And Newer
Trehan confirmed to NDTV that the iPhone 16 will not be part of the giveaway, with only iPhone 17 models and newer versions up for grabs. He explained that the decision was based on optics, as giving away an older model could make recipients feel they had received a "lesser" prize, particularly given the giveaway's religious framing around devotion to Mata Ji.
What Participants Have To Do
According to the Times of India, participants must write "Jai Mata Di" once every day for as long as the contest runs. There is also a grace period: anyone who misses a day can make up for it by writing the phrase twice the following day.
Trehan said the process would be actively tracked, and participants who fail to meet the requirement would be removed from contention.
More Cities In The Pipeline
The current giveaway is smaller than Trehan's original plan, which involved distributing 100 iPhones in Chandigarh and another 200 in Mohali.
For now, 10 units will be distributed in the first round, according to PTI, with additional rounds planned across 10 more cities in Punjab. Residents of those cities are expected to get about two weeks to fulfil the daily requirement before the next round, which Trehan said will be announced on October 5.
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