New Delhi [India], Jan 29 (NT): After touching the criticism for his 'pakoda' dig over PM Modi, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday alleged Saffron Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "distorting" and "deflecting" the debate on jobs.

Chidambaram took to his Twitter handle to say, "1. A young man who sells pakodas is honourably self-employed, but poor and aspirational. Ask him and he will tell you that he aspires for a regular and secure job. I empathise with him".

"2. BJP should not distort and deflect the debate on jobs. BJP should tell us how many regular jobs were created in the last three years", he continued in the second tweet.

Cracking a sneer  at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying a 'pakoda' seller who earns Rs 200 a day should also be measured as employed, Chidambaram had earlier tweeted, "Even selling pakodas is a 'job', said PM. By that logic, even begging is a job. Let's count poor or disabled persons who are forced to beg for a living as 'employed' people".

The remark drew ticking off from the BJP, which termed his sneer as an "insult to the poor". (NT)