The war of words triggered by Narendra Modis attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh escalated on Friday with Congress leaders and Singhs Cabinet colleagues calling the Gujarat Chief Minister a national embarrassment. The party also capitalised on L K Advanis subtle disapproval of Modis criticism of the Prime Minister. On Modis Independence (Day) speech I and Advaniji are on the same page. Modis abrasive hunger for power has no limits, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said. He said Modi has broken all established norms and traditions by attacking the Prime Minister the way he did. It is his over-ambition,which is behind all this. Now there is no limit for him. He has crossed all limits. Now it should be a worry for BJP leaders that how long will they keep carrying such an over-ambitious person on their shoulders, he said. Talking to reporters,Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said,Modi may be an asset to the BJP but he is a national embarrassment. He said the Gujarat Chief Minister was boastful and makes tall claims about his development model. Talking to reporters in Dehradun,Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said,What should I say about Modi? He is like a frog just out of the well and at a loss to find the right place for himself in the big wide world. He said Modi should first convince his party to name him as its prime ministerial candidate. I&B Minister Manish Tewari too slammed Modi for comparing his Independence Day speech with that of the Prime Minister. If anybody thinks that he can compare ones speech with that of the PM,nothing can reflect ones desperation more, he said. Cong suffers from Modi-phobia: BJP New Delhi: In the backdrop of rupees further decline Friday,the BJP came down heavily against the ruling party for suffering from Modi-phobia while the economy nosedives by the day. Congress reacts to Modi as if it has been stung by a high voltage wire. One gets the impression that the Congress ministers do not do their duty and instead react impulsively to Modi, BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters at the party headquarters here. She criticised Congress leaders barbs Friday at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over his Independence Day speech and sought to remind the ruling party members of worsening economic situation. ENS
