Ex-wife’s pic may upset Modi show

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The Congress is planning to use a picture of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s estranged wife to project him as 'anti-women' during the poll campaign for the state Assembly.

Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh had a few weeks ago asked Mr Modi to reveal his marital status while criticising the Gujarat chief minister’s remark that Union HRD minister Shashi Tharoor’s wife was a '50-crore girlfriend'. Mr Singh had claimed that Mr Modi’s remark was not limited to Mr Tharoor and his wife, but was an attack on all women. “Narendra Modi is now trying to move out of Gujarat and become a national leader. So he now talks less about Gujarat and talks more on national issues. He uses objectionable words against national leaders, I condemn it,” he had said.

Some Congress central leaders, especially women, have decided to raise this issue during their election tour of Gujarat. “I am going to Gujarat, probably on November 10, and will certainly raise this issue,” an AICC official said.

But the Gujarat Congress has not made up its mind on highlighting this issue. “We are building our campaign on local issues. Modi is on the defensive this time because of two factors — Keshubhai
Patel’s party and dissension against him in the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.”