Modi asks Rahul Gandhi to contest Italian polls-India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Gujarat Chief Minister and PM-aspirant Narendra Modi on Monday poked fun at Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress General Secretary is 'not a national leader but an international leader and he can contest election in India as well as in Italy'. " A Congress leader made a statement recently that Rahul Gandhi is a national leader of Congress and I am a regional leader. I am happy to be a leader of Gujarat , but I do not consider Rahul as national leader," said Modi, while addressing the Swami Vivekananda Youth Convention here. "I am proud to be a regional leader of Gujarat . Rahul is not a national leader but an international leader and he can contest elections in India as well as in Italy ," he added, while targeting the foreign origin issue of UPA chairperson and Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi. Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh had earlier on Sunday described Modi as a regional leader, and termed Rahul a national leader. "The Congress leaders in Gujarat are enough to take on Modi," he added. The Gujarat Chief Minister also criticized the Manmohan Singh-led UPA 2 Government for not fulfilling promises made in its election manifesto in 2004. "In 2004, Congress in its manifesto had promised to give job to one crore youths. But according to a report issued by the Government of India, Gujarat is the leader in giving jobs with 72 percent of share," said Modi. "I want to ask a question to the UPA Government and its Prime Minister that if you are not able to fulfill your promises then why do you make them... only to deceive people?" he asked.

Modi calls Rahul 'International leader who can contest Italian polls'