The NDA Government on Wednesday rallied around Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian as senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy demanded the CEA’s sacking for allegedly pursuing an “anti-India stance” on economic issues while serving in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his deputy Jayant Sinha backed the CEA, saying the Government had full confidence in him, while Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said Swamy’s views were not the party’s views.
Hours after Swamy came out with explosive tweets against the CEA, in a terse statement, Jaitley said it was wrong to criticise people who cannot defend themselves. “To what extent should we attack those whom... discipline and constraints of office prevent from responding. And this has happened more than once,” Jaitley said.
The BJP also did not endorse Swamy’s tirade against a bureaucrat who was hand-picked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP Government had in October 2014 appointed IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus Arvind Subramanian as CEA.
“The party does not agree with his views. This is completely his personal opinion,” said BJP’s national secretary Shrikant Sharma at a Press conference when asked about the party’s views on Swamy’s demand that the CEA be removed.
Swamy who is also a National Executive member of the BJP, had earlier launched a no-holds-barred attack on RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan. Rajan last week announced that he would not be seeking a second term in the Central bank.
The Rajya Sabha member’s attack comes in the wake of reports of Arvind Subramanian being among the probable successors of Rajan as the RBI’s chief.
“The Government has full confidence in Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian,” Jaitley told newspersons when asked about Swamy’s stringent criticism of the CEA. “His advice to the Government from time to time has been of great value. In fact, the presentation on the textiles and garments sector made just now (at the media briefing on Cabinet decisions) was prepared in active consultation with him,” Jaitley said backing Subramanian.
The Finance Minister answered a flurry of queries linked to Swamy’s attack on the CEA at the Press conference otherwise called to brief the media on the Cabinet’s decisions.
Asked whether people like Swamy should not be reined in, Jaitley retorted, “Thank you for your suggestion”.
As Opposition Congress saw Swamy’s real target as Jaitley, IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad responded saying, “Integrity of Arun Jaitley is impeccable. His transparency and integrity is unquestionable.”
Asked for his comments on Rajan not seeking a second term because the NDA Government did not defend him in the face of Swamy’s attack, Jaitley said, “The premise of the question is incorrect. I had categorically spoken out on this subject when the comments were made about the RBI Governor. Even the party president had specifically stated that the party does not agree with the comment that was made.”
Speaking on the issue, Venkaiah Naidu said it was an individual’s view and not the party’s.
“The party has not said anything. The Government has not said anything...The question is that you cannot gag everybody in democracy. If the party says anything then I can react, if the Government says anything then I can react on that,” he said.
While demanding removal of the CEA, Swamy had tweeted, “Who said to US Cong on 13/3/13 the US should act against India to defend US pharmaceutical interestsIJ Arvind Subramanian MoF!! Sack him!!!.”
“Guess who encouraged Cong to become rigid on GST clausesIJ Jaitley’s economic adviser Arvind Subramanian of Washington DC,” Swamy said in another tweet.