Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram Monday said his mother and Harvard University have taught him the values of hard work.
Chidambaram, presenting the interim budget for the year 2014-15, was trying to answer BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's jibe at him recently.
Addressing a public rally near here, Modi mocked the Harvard University educated Chidambaram as "recounting minister" and said the nation could be led by hard work and not by Harvard degrees.
The "recounting minister" jibe was a reference to Chidambaram's victory from the Sivaganga constituency in the 2009 general elections after a recount of votes.