Dead wrong

In an attempt to outdo Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is well known for his social networking one-upmanship, the Gujarat Congress jumped the gun, with embarrassing consequences. On June 26, the party issued a statement condoling the death of Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela who was on life support. Undersigned by spokesman Jayrajsinh Parmar, the statement quoted senior state party leaders Arjun Modhwadia and Shankersinh Vaghela and described Mandela's life and how he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. The very next day South African President Jacob Zuma announced that Mandela's condition had improved but was still critical. The Gujarat Congress' goof-up even found its way on to the state party president's twitter handle, though it was removed later.