Modi can never be PM: Anand Sharma

Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma Sunday slammed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the "level of political debate to the lowest ebb" and asserted he will never become prime minister.

"The recent drama of Modi addressing the people with the Red Fort replica (in his backdrop) is befooling the people by boasting about his Gujarat model of development," Sharma told reporters here.

"He can never become the prime minister of India," he added.

Sharma was in Shimla Sunday to hold consultations with Himachal government functionaries on industrial development projects, especially those related to the ministries of commerce and industries.

Taking a jibe at Modi, he said: "Unfortunately for Modi and fortunately for people of India, the people would never give him a chance to address the country from the Red Fort. He would have to satisfy himself by addressing the people from replicas of the Red Fort."

Sharma, while quoting Reserve Bank of India's data, said out of total FDI worth $.296 billion that came to country between 2000 and 2013, the FDI investment in Gujarat was a meager $.8.5 billion, far below the claims of Modi.