Rajan deserves second term as RBI Guv, says Digvijay

Hyderabad, May 18: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh today batted for a second term for RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, terming him as a competent man who has performed exceedingly well in his current assignment.

"He (Raghuram Rajan) is a very competent man, and he has performed exceedingly well as Reserve Bank Governor, and I think he deserves a second term," AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh told PTI here when asked if Congress is in favour of a second term for him.

Asked about BJP MP Subramanian Swamy urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Rajan, alleging that he was "mentally not fully Indian", among other reasons, Singh asked "What about himself? (Swamy)".

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had also yesterday reacted sharply to the attack on Rajan, saying why Swamy does not hit his "real target" Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, but "set up dummy targets" like the RBI Governor who cannot speak out.

BJP spokesperson on Economic Affairs Gopalkrishna Aggarwal yesterday said Swamy is a senior leader whose opinions "definitely matter", but added that the final say will be with the government.

Following up on his barb last week that Rajan should be sent back to Chicago, Swamy has written a letter to the Prime Minister saying how a person appointed by the UPA government should be continued in the post.

"I cannot see why someone appointed by the UPA government who is apparently working against Indian economic interests should be kept in this post when we have so many nationalist- minded experts available in this country for the RBI Governorship," Swamy had said.

The newly-nominated MP urged Modi "to terminate the appointment of Dr Raghuram Rajan in the national interest". Rajan was appointed RBI Governor by the previous UPA government in September 2013 for a three-year term, which can be extended.

PTI