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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram for their inept handling of the economy and said they had ruined the economy with their ‘bookish knowledge’.
“They (Singh and Chidambaram) say we don't want to learn economics from Modi, but you should have at least learnt from Narsimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Then you would have understood how to run the country. Both were not considered as economists, but the two great leaders were aware of country's problems," Modi said.
Addressing three different rallies in the national capital, which goes to polls on December 4, Modi attacked the leadership of the Congress and said, “"A top ranking Minister in the central government, who considers himself to be all-intelligent, thinks he has got all the brains in the world and that the others are brainless... The same minister said prices are rising because poor, who were earlier only eating dry breads, are now eating two vegetables. Tell me, are prices rising due to this?" Modi was accompanied by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and chief ministerial candidate of the party, Harsh Vardhan.
The Congress reacted, calling Modi as a “poorly-educated” man who was “talking foolish” in his attempt to rival a highly educated Prime Minster.
“Modi's speeches are becoming like a stand-up comedy circus show. It is becoming monotonous. However, even then the BJP leaders of Delhi have fielded him in Delhi. Even on the radio advertisements, leaders like Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh are comin,” said AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed.
For the first time, perhaps, Modi referred to the snooping scandal which involved illegal surveillance of a woman. Modi said Congress had earlier resorted to such "tricks" too.
“They tried every trick to discredit me. But Gujarati people have defeated those attempts. Despite allegations that Congress made through Facebook and Twitter, people of Gujarat gave a befitting reply," he said.
Modi criticised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit over the price rise in the Capital, rising power tariffs and the corruption in the Commonwealth Games.
