Mumbai: In a sharp reaction to the praise showered by industrialists on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Congress on Saturday sought to draw a parallel with German corporate sector's fascination for Adolph Hitler in 1930s.
"In the decade of 30's, German corporate sector had similar fascination with a gentleman who was at the helm of affairs there. The implications for the world at large were disastrous," Union Minister and Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said here.
"I think even corporate India would be well-served to draw lessons. Wise people do learn from the history and do draw appropriate lessons," Tewari told a press conference.
Tewari was asked to comment on ADAG chairman Anil Ambani putting Modi in the same league as Mahatma Gandhi in a speech at VGS yesterday.
Tewari said "myth of vibrant Gujarat is really a fantasy-making at its best, because if looked at in terms of real numbers, states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are ranked much higher than Gujarat".
On the benchmark of foreign investment, Maharashtra was far ahead in the last twelve years, he said.
"Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also ahead....Corporate India should realise the implications of flirting with the right wing. If we draw right lessons from the history...Such flirtations in the past have had very dangerous implications on the world at large."
Meanwhile, Congress leader Praveen Davar today condemned industrialist Anil Ambani for putting Modi in the league of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel saying it was an "insult" to the memory of two nationalists and Gujarat icons.
"It is highly deplorable that Anil Ambani has compared Modi with Gandhiji and Sardar Patel. It is an insult to the memory of two nationalists and Gujarat icons, whose ideals have been totally erased from Gujarat.
"Ambani and other corporate kings should not sink to such low levels of sycophancy and immorality," Davar said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 12, 2013, 21:27