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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday took a swipe at former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan after he joined the Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and said his commentary on India's economy should be discarded with "disdain" as it is "coloured and opportunistic".
BJP's foreign affairs department head Vijay Chauthaiwale tweeted, "One former RBI governor became head of govt and country lost ten precious years. Thanks to Modi, India will not repeat that mistake. RRR (Raghuram Rajan) can walk from Delhi to Chicago."
The party's IT department head Amit Malviya said, "Raghuram Rajan, former RBI Governor, a Congress appointee, joining Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a surprise. He fancies himself as the next Manmohan Singh. Just that his commentary on India's economy should be discarded with disdain. It is coloured and opportunistic."
The Congress hit back at the BJP, saying the entire cabinet put together cannot match the abilities of the economist.
Congress' media department head Pawan Khera told reporters that the party which has destroyed the economy of this country in the last about eight years has the cheek to question Rajan.
"The entire cabinet put together cannot match the abilities of Mr. Raghuram Rajan. The decision of demonetisation, if they had consulted people like Mr. Raghuram Rajan, believe me, the country's economy would have been saved of the kind of disaster that Mr. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has pushed it into," he said referring to BJP IT department head Amit Malviya's criticism of the economist.
Prime Minister Modi has himself, on some occasions, praised Rajan, Khera claimed.
The Congress leader said that a lot of people from different sections of society want to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra and strengthen it.
People from the film industry, media fraternity, writers and others from different walks of life, want to still walk with Rahul Gandhi and strengthen the yatra, he said.
Tweeting on Rajan joining the yatra, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "A strong and sound economy is a combination of growth and welfare. Our vision is to reclaim that India. We are glad that former RBI governor and leading economist, Shri Raghuram Rajan, joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in our endeavour to build an agenda for the future."
Rajan had joined Rahul Gandhi during the Congress-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan.
Appointed as RBI governor during the Congress-led UPA reign, Rajan has been a critic of some aspects of the BJP government's policies, including its handling of the economy.
While the BJP targeted Rajan, Congress leaders expressed happiness at the noted economist joining the yatra.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "A strong and sound economy is a combination of growth and welfare. Our vision is to reclaim that India. We are glad that Former RBI Governor & leading Economist, Shri Raghuram Rajan joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in our endeavour to build an agenda for the future."