INDIA SUMMARIZED

The campaign for the ouster of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was on August 12 met with a strong counter-offensive when she launched a no-holds-barred attack on Congress, accusing it of having taken money to help alleged Bofors middleman Ottavio Quattrocchi and then Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson flee India even as the government rejected the demand for her resignation. Taking the floor after a number of searching questions were raised by Congress group leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Swaraj's charges against late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his government and the attack on Rahul Gandhi escalated further tensions between the Opposition and government as a washed-out session of Parliament comes to an end on Thursday. On the penultimate day of the month-long session, which was paralysed over the Congress' demand for Swaraj's resignation, the two sides settled for a discussion on an adjournment motion that was, to say the least,...

RAJKOT: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today lashed out at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, saying that the young leader was an international leader who could contest election in Italy. Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh had 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. Saying that he is happy being a regional leader, Modi said he did not consider Rahul as a national leader. "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, w...