Designed attack on RBI's autonomy by BJP govt: Cong

With Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral Acharya resigning from his position at the central bank, the Congress on Tuesday said the issue was not top officials quitting but the BJP government's "designed attack" on the RBI's autonomy.

In a surprise move, Acharya resigned from his position at the RBI merely six months ahead of the scheduled end of his three-year term, citing personal reasons.

This is the second high-profile exit from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the last seven months. In December last year, Governor Urjit Patel had resigned nearly nine months before the end of his scheduled term.

"Issue isn't 2 RBI Governors & a Deputy Governor leaving, the issue is the designed attack on the RBI's autonomy by BJP govt," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.

"Can the country afford it without inviting the 'wrath of financial markets, ignite economic fire', as Acharya famously said," he added.