BJP distances itself from Swamy's remark on Arvind Subramanian

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday distanced itself from Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy's remark on Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, saying it was his "personal opinion".

"It is his personal opinion and BJP doesn't have anything to do with this. We don't agree with it," BJP's National Secretary Srikant Sharma told the media.

Earlier on Wednesday, BJP's Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy asked the government to "sack" Arvind Subramanian.

In a series of tweets, Swamy said: "Who said to US Cong on 13/3/13 the US should act against India to defend US Pharmaceuticals interests? Arvind Subramanian MoF (Ministry of Finance)!! Sack him!"

Arvind Subramanian took charge as the Chief Economic Advisor in October 2014, succeeding Raghuram Rajan.

"Guess who encouraged Congress to become rigid on GST clauses? Jaitely's economic adviser Arvind Subramanian of Washington DC," Swamy said in another tweet.

The BJP MP also wondered why the core economic sectors could not perform in the two years rule of the Narendra Modi government.

"Now PTs (Patriotic Tweeples) can understand why our core economic sectors could not perform in last two years. Trojan horses galore in MoF/ Finance Institutions," he said.

"Was AS (Arvind Subramanian) deposing before US Congress Committee against India as a US citizen or Indian? Does any PT know?"

Swamy also criticised Rajan, accusing the Reserve Bank of India Governor of derailing the Indian economy by keeping the lending rates high.

--IANS

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