<p>"I don't want to take the level of this debate to a Class 8 school boys' debate," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said dismissing criticism of his interim budget by Narendra Modi.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"What does he mean by a decade of decay? The fact is that we are delivering growth above the trend growth rate. I have pointed out that the growth rate in 1999-2004 was below the trend growth rate.<br /><br />"In the last 33 years, the last decade (under UPA) has been the best decade for growth. Now these are facts. Now he (Modi) likes fake encounter with facts. I don't think the media should join and repeat his tweets," Chidambaram told PTI in an interview here.<br /><br />He was asked about Modi's reaction to his interim budget yesterday calling it "a final act of misery after a decade of decay."<br /><br />Yesterday, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate had tweeted: "The only solace one gets from the vote-on-account is that this was UPA's final act of misery after a decade of decay & policy paralysis."<br /><br />When asked about the other comment of Modi that it was "upto the people to decide whether the Economist PM & FM have been 'hard working' or 'hardly working'," Chidambaram shot back, "I don't want to take the level of this debate to a Class 8 boys' debate."<br /><br />Chidambaram and Modi have been locked in a war of words over economy. The Finance Minister was critical of Modi's knowledge of economy when he said it can be written on back of postal stamp.<br /><br />Asked about this comment, the Minister said, "What he (Modi) had said on that day betrayed a lack of understanding and therefore I used that phrase about writing on the back of a postage stamp.<br /><br />"But if he articulates himself, then we can engage him in a debate. If a persons refuses to spell out his views on economics what else can you say."<br /><br />Modi had accused Chidambaram of mishandling economy and taunted him a few days ago saying that high growth rate in Gujarat was because of his hard work and not education in Harvard University.<br /><br />Yesterday Chidambaram hit back at Modi in his Budget speech saying, "My mother and Harvard taught me the value of hard work."</p>
<p>"I don't want to take the level of this debate to a Class 8 school boys' debate," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said dismissing criticism of his interim budget by Narendra Modi.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"What does he mean by a decade of decay? The fact is that we are delivering growth above the trend growth rate. I have pointed out that the growth rate in 1999-2004 was below the trend growth rate.<br /><br />"In the last 33 years, the last decade (under UPA) has been the best decade for growth. Now these are facts. Now he (Modi) likes fake encounter with facts. I don't think the media should join and repeat his tweets," Chidambaram told PTI in an interview here.<br /><br />He was asked about Modi's reaction to his interim budget yesterday calling it "a final act of misery after a decade of decay."<br /><br />Yesterday, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate had tweeted: "The only solace one gets from the vote-on-account is that this was UPA's final act of misery after a decade of decay & policy paralysis."<br /><br />When asked about the other comment of Modi that it was "upto the people to decide whether the Economist PM & FM have been 'hard working' or 'hardly working'," Chidambaram shot back, "I don't want to take the level of this debate to a Class 8 boys' debate."<br /><br />Chidambaram and Modi have been locked in a war of words over economy. The Finance Minister was critical of Modi's knowledge of economy when he said it can be written on back of postal stamp.<br /><br />Asked about this comment, the Minister said, "What he (Modi) had said on that day betrayed a lack of understanding and therefore I used that phrase about writing on the back of a postage stamp.<br /><br />"But if he articulates himself, then we can engage him in a debate. If a persons refuses to spell out his views on economics what else can you say."<br /><br />Modi had accused Chidambaram of mishandling economy and taunted him a few days ago saying that high growth rate in Gujarat was because of his hard work and not education in Harvard University.<br /><br />Yesterday Chidambaram hit back at Modi in his Budget speech saying, "My mother and Harvard taught me the value of hard work."</p>