Raghuram Rajan row: Congress hits out at Modi govt

New Delhi, June 19: A day after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan's announced that he will not be seeking second term, the Congress on Sunday, June 19 targeted the BJP government.

Congress party's senior leader and former Union minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad told media-persons that "he is saddened with the way an upright RBI Governor was treated by the BJP Government."

He also alleged that Rajan was being targeted since last one year by BJP leaders and MPs.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said he was "disappointed and profoundly saddened" by Rajan's decision against a second term, but was not surprised by the development.

"As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser," he said, alleging that the government had invited this development through a craftily-planned campaign of insinuations, baseless allegations and puerile attacks on a distinguished academic and economist.

Another senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said the present regime does not deserve a person of Rajan's level.

"I don't know the reason. Of course it is well known to him. But the manner in which some of the BJP spokespersons and also Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ... also one important leader Subramanian Swamy.... Some of these people including Nagpur RSS camp (were) lobbying against him," Moily said.

Terming it as the "most unpleasant thing" for the country, he said, "I think in the present context of the governance and also the present regime, I think they do not deserve a person of his level. He is a global person. I think the country was endowed with him."

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari alleged that 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 had said, adding the RBI governor had done "phenomenal" work in his tenure.

On the same note, the Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday June 18, tweeted, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows everything. He has no need for experts like Raghuram Rajan. Thank you Dr Rajan for steering the economy in difficult times. People like you make India great."

Rajan acted as Congress agent: Swamy

While hitting back at the Congress, the BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said, "RBI Governor sabotaged our economy by trying to put all small medium industries out of business."

Swamy even went on to say that Rajan has been acting as a "Congress agent" ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in May 2014.

"This only proves what I have always suspected that Rajan worked as a Congress agent since the BJP came to power," Swamy said.

Reacting to Azad's remarks, Swamy told the media here that such remarks only substantiated his suspicion that Rajan acted as a Congress agent.

"This only proves what I have always suspected... that he (Rajan) worked as a Congress agent," he further said. [Can't choose RBI Guv on basis of popular vote: Swamy]

Swamy has been bitterly criticising Rajan for some time now, accusing the RBI Governor of derailing the Indian economy by keeping the lending rates high.

On Saturday, June 18, Rajan, who was appointed RBI Governor by the UPA government in 2013, announced he would not want a second term after his current tenure as the RBI Governor ends in September. [Raghuram Rajan says no to second term as RBI governor]

I am saddened with the way an upright RBI Governor was treated by BJP Government: Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress pic.twitter.com/k8F9YxrYoe

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan being targeted since last one year by BJP leaders and MPs: Ghulam Nabi Azad,Congress pic.twitter.com/fTsWJdzhAF

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

He (RBI Guv)sabotaged our economy by trying to put all small medium industries out of business:Subramanian Swamy,BJP pic.twitter.com/jnlNJYNSBn

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

This only proves what I have always suspected that Rajan worked as a Congress agent since the BJP came to power: Subramanian Swamy,BJP

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2016

OneIndia News

(With agency inputs)