NEW DELHI: Firing a fresh salvo on Thursday, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy targeted Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das while making light of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s support for the official, saying that he can directly speak to the prime minister on the issues raised by him.
Mr Swamy also put on hold his demand for sacking Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian following the government’s strong support for him but said that he “will wait for events to prove truth.”
Mr Jaitley and the BJP had on Wednesday strongly backed Arvind Subramanian after Mr Swamy demanded his sacking.
Mr Swamy suggested on Thursday that he did not place much value on Mr Jaitley’s remarks.
“What Jaitley says or does not say, I have nothing to do with it. I can talk to party president and the Prime Minister,” Mr Swamy told reporters in response to questions concerning the Finance Minister’s remarks.
“I have said what I had to say. I was told that they knew everything. So if they have forgiven him (Subramanian), I have no objections,” Mr Swamy said, adding he will talk to BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when required.
Mr Swamy had earlier in the day made remarks about Mr Das which were contested by Mr Jaitley.
A Twitter user had asked for the removal of Mr Das and Mr Swamy replied that he feels a case is pending against the officer for assisting former Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Replying to the tweet, Mr Swamy said: “I think there is a property deal case pending against him for assisting PC swallow Mahabalipuram prime locations.”
Mr Jaitley strongly supported his ministry official.
“An unfair and false attack on a disciplined civil servant in the Finance Ministry,” the minister tweeted.
Mr Swamy also posted a series of tweets concerning Arvind Subramanian, a day after the government strongly backed the economist.
“If an Indian?, held patriotic, can advise a foreign nation where he works, to twist India’s arm, is to be forgiven, then I suspend my demand,” Mr Swamy said.
Mr Swamy said he would wait for events to bear out his allegations against Mr Subramanian.
“If BJP Union government says that we know all about AS (Arvind Subramanian) but still he is an asset, then I will suspend my demand and wait for events to prove truth.”
“AS (Arvind Subramanian) to US Congress: “US initiatives by discriminating against India companies and exporters will exert pressure on India to open up” AS 13/3/13!.”
Mr Swamy had publicly attacked RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, saying he was “mentally not fully Indian” and also written to the Prime Minister demanding that he be denied an extension. Last week, Mr Rajan announced that he was not taking a second term.
On Wednesday, Mr Swamy created a flutter with his tweets demanding sacking of Mr Subramanian.
The Congress has termed Mr Swamy the ‘undeclared spokesperson’ of Prime Minister Modi and claimed Mr Jaitley was the real target of Mr Swamy as he wanted to be Finance Minister himself.
IANS