Politicians react: Swamy says RBI Guv not picked by popular vote, Chidambaram saddened

BHUBANESHWAR: BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who ran a tirade against RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, today said the Reserve Bank head is a government employee and is not selected on the basis of popular vote.

"Raghuram Rajan is an employee of the Government of India. We don't select employees on the basis of popular vote," he said, reacting to Rajan's decision not to take a second term.

In a series of letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swamy had demanded sacking of Rajan, arguing that he is not "fully mentally Indian" and had been sending confidential and sensitive financial information around the world.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today said he was disappointed and profoundly saddened by RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision against a second term, but he was not surprised by the development.

"I am disappointed and profoundly saddened by the decision of Dr 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," he said in his reaction.

The former finance minister 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.

"As I had said sometime ago, this government did not deserve Dr Rajan. Nevertheless, India is the loser," he added.

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


Read our entire coverage on Rexit