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UP Elections 2017: Hard work stronger than Harvard, says PM Narendra Modi

Mocks Amartiya Sen, Manmohan Singh for criticising demonetization

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PM Modi addresses an election rally in Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday delivered his riposte at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district — "hard work is more powerful than Harvard" — taking a dig at Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University and Nobel Laureate Amartiya Sen and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, without naming them.

He was referring to Central Statistics Office (CSO) data released on Tuesday projecting a 7.1 per cent economic growth for fiscal year 2017. Modi also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "coconut juice" and "potato factory" remarks which he made at rally in Manipur on Tuesday.

Criticising the prophets of doom and mocking economists, who had anticipated devastating effects of his demonatization decision, Modi said, "On one hand, there are those (critics of notes ban) who talk about what people at Harvard say and on the other, is a poor man's son, who, through his hard work is trying to improve the economy."

His remarks come against the backdrop of Amartya Sen terming demonetization as "despotic action that has struck at the root of the economy based on trust".

The government on Tuesday had pegged GDP growth at a higher-than-expected 7.1 per cent for 2016-17 despite cash blues.

At the Congress' daily briefing, former finance minister Manpreet Badal said the ground reality doesn't match the government figures. Production of fertilisers had gone down by 2 per cent and output of refineries by 1.5 per cent. Badal said that no one can deny the fact that real estate sector — the biggest job absorbing sector — has taken a big hit.

In Maharajganj, Modi also said that the electorate has already ensured Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the first five phases and now they would give surplus votes as a "gift and bonus" in the remaining two rounds. "This is similar to chillies and coriander leaves, which a vegetable seller gives to the buyer as bonus," he said.

Modi took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi for his "coconut juice" and "potato factory" remarks. "There is a Congress leader, and I want to pray for his long life...he recently went to Manipur to address an election rally where he told farmers that he would extract juice from coconuts and send it to London. In fact, a coconut possesses water and it is grown in Kerala," he said. "It is like setting up a potato factory," Modi said referring to Gandhi's earlier remarks that he wants to set up potato factories in Uttar Pradesh. "Such a talented and far-sighted leader he is," Modi said, and asked Gandhi as to what exactly he wanted to do for UP.

Gandhi had reportedly said, "I would want someone who drinks coconut juice in London to see 'Made in Manipur' written on it."

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