Chidambaram takes a dig at Narendra Modi for `Harvard` remark

Chidambaram, hit back at Gujarat CM and BJP`s PM candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Narendra Modi, for his `Harvard` and `hard work` remark.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram on Monday, hit back at Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP`s PM candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Narendra Modi, for his `Harvard` and `hard work` remark. Chidambaram during his speech in Parliament while presenting the Interim Budget said, “My mother and Harvard taught me the value of hard work." Modi, while addressing a rally recently in Chennai, had said that Gujarat had achieved high growth rate due to his hard work. Directing his comment at Chidambaram, Modi had said, “You have Harvard, I have hard work.” “A man who has just studied in an ordinary school, sold tea and has not even seen the doors of Harvard has shown what it takes to handle economy,” Modi added, as per PTI. Modi had also lashed out at both Chidambaram and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for India`s high unemployment, fiscal debt and low growth. "Gujarat has shown an average growth of 10.1 percent for the last ten years while the national average has been 7.6 under UPA and it has fallen to 4.5 in the last two years," Modi said. Further, the Gujarat CM had accused the Union Finance Minister of being arrogant and thinking himself to be too intelligent. Modi had made the comments in response to Chidambaram`s dig that the Gujarat CM`s knowledge of economy can be written on the back of a postage stamp. Chidambaram, while presenting the Vote-on-Account in the Lok Sabha, highlighted that the country had seen high growth rate during the UPA rule of 10 years - 8.4 per cent during UPA-I and 6.6 per cent during UPA-II. “...All this is the result of hard work. I may add, among other mentors, my mother and Harvard taught me the value of hard work," he said. However, Chidambaram did not take Modi`s name. With PTI inputs