New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) The Congress Saturday defended the advertisement issued by its Gujarat unit referring to work done by state Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying the they had used sarcasm to convey the message that the state owed its development to its people and not a particular leader.

"It's a sarcastic comment on Narendra Modi...His predecessors did a better job," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affaris Rajiv Shukla said.

The Gujarat unit of the party had paid for a two-page supplement which gave a graphic account of contributions by all chief ministers, including Modi, to convey that the state's progress was due to its enterprising people. However, it described Modi as a "master organizer and an astute election strategist".

The pull-out said Modi had been trying very hard to convert Gujarat into a vibrant state and credited him with raising the height of Narmada dam.

Gujarat Congress leaders have said the advertisement rebuts Modi's claim that the state had been transformed under his stewardship.