As RBI governor Raghuram Rajan came under repeated attack from Subramanian Swamy, Congress on Thursday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise for the BJP MP targeting "one of the most outstanding economists in the world".
"The present governor of the RBI is one of the most outstanding economists in the world. It is unfortunate that their own Rajya Sabha member has made the statement and more than that it is unfortunate that the PM has not spoken," Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said.
Addressing a joint press conference with a battery of senior leaders at the AICC headquarters, he said, "It is the duty of the Prime Minister, in fact, to make a public statement apologising for what his party member has said about a person whom the world holds in high esteem."
Sibal said it was a matter of regret that the government failed to clarify that it was not its view when Swamy made the demand for Rajan's removal for the first time.
He insisted that Swamy has been brought to the Rajya Sabha for the "particular purpose" of attacking the Congress party as also "individuals in high places and institutions".
Sibal's remarks came close on the heels of Swamy firing another salvo at Rajan levelling six allegations against him and asking the Prime Minister to immediately terminate his services.
Accusing Rajan of raising interest rate to the detriment of small and medium industries, Swamy said the RBI governor should have known the "inevitable consequence of rising and high interest rate and his policy was wilful and thus anti-national in intent".
Rajan, the BJP leader also claimed, has been sending confidential and sensitive financial information using unsecured Chicago University email id and publicly disparaging the BJP government.