Congress accuses govt of ‘hounding out’ Raghuram Rajan, BJP won’t comment

The Congress on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi government of “hounding out” RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and said he has done what any “self-respecting” person would do even as BJP declined to join the issue, claiming it does not offer comments on independent regulators.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who ran a tirade against Mr Rajan, took a jibe at the outgoing RBI governor’s decision, saying whatever “fig leaf” he wants for hiding the reality, the people should not grudge it and tell him good bye. Former finance minister P. Chidambaram said he was “disappointed and profoundly saddened” by Mr Rajan’s decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.

“I am disappointed and profoundly saddened by the decision of Raghuram Rajan to leave the RBI on completion of his term on September 4, 2016, but I hasten to add that I am not surprised at all. As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Mr Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser,” he said.

He said the government had invited this development through a craftily-planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist.

Rajan was appointed the RBI governor by the UPA government in 2013 when Mr Chidambaram was the finance minister.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government had “hounded” a good man as it did not have the courage to ask him to leave.

“The message that this fascist government is sending to regulators is that if you do not toe our line we will mount a campaign of calumny and wild insinuations and bludgeon you into submission. What Rajan has done is what any self- respecting man under such circumstances will do,” he said.

Rajan had done a phenomenal work, he said. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao declined to offer comments.

“BJP generally do not offer political comments on any office of independent regulator or Constitutional positions,” he said.