Cong explains Modi gaffe, workers not amused

A day after the Congress ended up with egg on its face over an advertisement lauding Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the party, red faced, tried to offer explanations. But party workers called it “a clear blunder”.

A day after the Congress ended up with egg on its face over an advertisement lauding Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the party, red faced, tried to offer explanations. But party workers called it “a clear blunder”.

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A two-page pullout, Gujarat: Progressive since Inception, issued by the Congress on the Republic Day, featured Modi’s photograph and described him as “a master organiser and astute election strategist”.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters that the advertisement was a “sarcastic praise” of Modi’s achievements. Another party leader, Rajeev Shukla, said, “The advertisement ridicules Modi.”

But in Ahmedabad, a gleeful BJP said, “Despite its praise for the chief minister, the people of Gujarat will not forgive the Congress. They have repeatedly rejected the party in three electoral battles.”

It said, “The Congress have always spread a negative image of chief minister Narendra Modi.”

Even though state Congress chief Arjun Modhvadia said the ad actually highlighted that Modi promoted festivals, instead of providing governance, party workers were not amused. A party worker said, “The pullout did highlight Modi’s achievements, instead of exposing his misrule.”