NEW DELHI: Congress today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark comparing Kerala with Somalia is an insult to "all Indians" and the state is "far far ahead" of Gujarat.
"The Prime Minister is known to make outrageous statements. This Prime Minister makes statements that are blatantly false...To go to Kerala and compare it with Somalia is an insult not only to the state but also to all of India," Congress spokesman Jairam Ramesh told reporters.
He said Kerala is number one in the country in parameters of education, health, female literacy, women empowerment and infant mortality, and "far far ahead of Gujarat".
"If Kerala is Somalia, Gujarat is worse than Afghanistan," he said.
"I don't know what the provocation was for the Prime Minister to bring up Somalia and compare Kerala with it. This is an outrageous comment. It is an insult to all Keralaites, it is an insult to all Indians," he said.
The quality of life and social indicators of Kerala are better than most countries in the world including the United States, he said.