Cong dismissive of US Congressional report on Modi vs Rahul

New Delhi, Sept 14 (PTI) Indian National Congress was
Wednesday dismissive of a US Congressional report suggesting
the 2014 Lok Sabha polls (lower house of Indian parliament)
could turn out to be a direct contest for Prime Ministership
between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
"I have not perused any such report and even if any such
report exists, I do not wish to dignify it with a response,"
party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters.
His remarks came close on the heels of a report on
India by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a
bipartisan and independent research wing of the US Congress.
The report had spoken of the Gujarat Chief Minister as a
strong PM candidate for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014
while at the same time discussing the prospect of Congress
putting up Rahul Gandhi for the post.
"Yet this heir-apparent remains dogged by questions about
his abilities to lead the party, given a mixed record as an
election strategist, uneasy style in public appearances and
reputation for gaffes," CRS said about Gandhi.
Asked whether the US had started taking "extra interest"
in Indian politics as sometime back it had commented on Anna
Hazare and is now speaking about BJP and National Democratic
Alliance (NDA), Tewari saidIndia is an emerging power which
has followed an independent foreign policy from 1947 and does
not require any certificate from anybody.