Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that his financial adviser Gita Gopinath should not be compared with Finance Minister Thomas Isaac.

According to reports, he was answering a question posed by the opposition in this regard and said that Gita’s role as the advisor should not be undervalued.

The opposition’s remarks came after Thomas Isaac discussed the Appropriation Bill in the assembly.

“Her expertise and that of Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac are different,” Pinarayi said in the assembly. He urged the opposition not to belittle Gita in comparison with the finance minister.

In an apparent snub, the CM said he was glad the opposition admitted that Thomas Isaac is an “economic expert”.

“I am glad that the Opposition too accepts this. But there is a lot of difference between his role and that of Ms. Gopinath. Her job is to give advice to the government. The government will act upon such advice after all round discussions, including with Dr. Isaac,” he was quoted as saying.