Cong dubs BJP criticism of Rajan 'worst form of fascism'

The Congress on Wednesday dubbed BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's call for the removal of RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan the ‘worst form of fascism’ and the ‘most vicious assault’ on the country’s institutional mechanism.

“What is the message the ruling dispensation is trying to send – that if you (Rajan) do not play ball with us, if you do not play in tandem with us, we will hound you, we will come after you,” Congress spokesperson Manisha Tewari said at a press conference here.

He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue, asking if it was some of the recent stands taken by Rajan, including asking banks to make public names of all willful defaulters, that prompted the BJP-led government to deploy Swamy to hit out at Rajan.

“The intention is simple. If you are a self-respecting man, you will possibly put down your papers and go, and then we will be saved the embarrassment of not having to renew your term,” Tewari said. The Congress leader said Swamy has not attacked an individual, but an institution. “This is the first time it has happened in 67 years. This is the worst form of fascism and the oldest trick in the fascist movement,” he said. 

Tewari also speculated if the real target was Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. “The silence of the government is deafening. There is an obvious complicity in that silence or there could be another angle to it,” he said.