AHMEDABAD: Defending its advertisement which praised Gujarat Chief Minsiter Narendra Modi for his contribution in developing the state, the Congress on Saturday said that it was meant to be sarcastic.
Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said that Modi had been ridiculed in the advertisement.
"It's a sarcastic comment on Narendra Modi. He has been ridiculed in the advertisement. His predecessors did a better job," Shukla said.
The Gujarat Congress had issued an advertisement in local newspapers on Republic Day praising Modi.
The pull-out by Congress, distributed with newspapers on the Republic Day in some parts of the state, featured Modi's photograph, and described him as "a master organiser and astute election strategist".
The two-page advertisement claimed that Gujarat had been a progressive state from the very beginning, and sought to highlight contribution of all the chief ministers of the state, including Modi.
The advertisement informed the readers that "a master organiser, his party's topmost functionary and astute election strategist Shri Narendrabhai Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001".
It then listed major achievements under Modi.
"He has been trying very hard to convert Gujarat into a vibrant state, he has established separate department for biotechnology, and he has also been able to raise the height of Narmada dam from 11.64 mts to 121.92 mts," said the advertisement.
State Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Gujarat in December 2012, and campaigning has almost begun. With Thursday's pull-out, the Opposition party seems to have committed a self-goal.