Narendra Modi lashes out at PM, P Chidambaram

Storming the capital with a whirlwind campaign, Narendra Modi today attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, saying they have ruined the country with their "bookish knowledge".

Addressing a series of election rallies here ahead of the December four Delhi Assembly polls, Modi said he does not question the knowledge or qualifications of Singh and Chidambaram but with their "intelligence and bookish knowledge, the two leaders have destroyed the country".

"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.

Sparring between Modi and Chidambaram has been on for sometime. Modi had alleged at a rally in Jodhpur yesterday that Chidambaram feels buying gold causes inflation. The Finance Minister responded by saying that BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate is giving his “first lesson in economy” and rejected his contention.

An undeterred Modi continued the onslaught against Chidambaram and Singh at his rallies in Delhi.

Taking a dig at the top leadership of the Congress, Modi said, "Our PM is a big economist. We never questioned that. Finance Minister is also very educated. We never challenged that."

"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?" he asked.