New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS): Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suit auction as a "shameful exercise", the Congress Wednesday said it was actually a damage-control exercise.

"When Modi goes meeting US President Barack Obama, wearing an expensive suit with his name all over it - what does that mean," senior Congress leader Ajay Maken asked at a press conference here, adding that it was criticised not only in India but abroad too.

"This is a damage control exercise they are busy with now," he said.

He also expressed "concern" on how "the image of the Indian prime minister was being tarnished".

It is an insult to the poor of the country and the prime minister overlooked laws regarding conduct of prime minister and ministers in accepting such expensive gifts.

"There are laws governing all this. He should not have accepted such an expensive gift as the law bars him from doing so," he said.

"If he (Modi) had to accept it, he should have got the suit evaluated. And then, if it had gone beyond the prescribed limit of Rs.5,000 he should have contributed for the rest of the cost, as he cannot take anything from people exceeding that amount," Maken said.

"Had somebody else been involved in it, the CBI would have been after him but in this case Modi is involved (in accepting an expensive gift) so nothing is being done," said the Congress leader, who was chief ministerial candidate in the recent Delhi assembly election but lost.