MAHARAJGANJ: In the wake of encouraging GDP growth figures released a day earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that "hard work has won over Harvard-educated economists" who had predicted otherwise  as the data shows demonetisation did not affect growth rate, rather the figures improved.

"On the one hand are those (critics of note ban) who talk of what people at Harvard say and on the other hand is a poor man's son who through his hard work is trying to improve the economy," he said at an election meeting here.

"In fact, hard work is much more powerful than Harvard" he said without elaborating.

His remark came against the backdrop of Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen terming demonetisation as a "despotic action that has struck at the root of economy based on trust".

The government had yesterday pegged GDP growth at a higher-than-expected 7.1 per cent for 2016-17 despite the cash blues, which was higher than China's 6.8 per cent for Oct-Dec period of 2016, making India retain the tag of the world's fastest growing economy.

Coming back to electoral politics in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said the electorate has already ensured BJP's victory in the first five phases and now they would give surplus votes as "gift and bonus" in the remaining two rounds.

"I request the voters of the state to give the rest of the two phases as bonus to the party. This is similar to the chillies and coriander leaves, which the vegetable seller gives to the buyer as bonus," he said drawing applause from the crowd.

A few days back the Prime Minister had spoken of the possibility of a hung assembly in the state, saying SP and BSP were waiting for such an opportunity for bargaining, prompting Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to comment that after dreaming of 300 plus seats, Modi was now talking about fractured verdict.