Raghuram Rajan to join Congress? 'My wife doesn't want me to…'

Talking about Rahul Gandhi, Raghuram Rajan said, “I think that's such a wrong portrayal in the sense that you know he's smart, intelligent, and also brave."

Raghuram Rajan, former RBI Governor, said that his family does not want him to enter politics. He said, “I have said repeatedly and people still don't believe me. I am an academic, my business is not kissing babies. I have a family and a wife, who doesn't want me to enter politics for a good reason. So rather than enter politics what I would like to do is help guide where I can.”

Former Governor of Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) Raghuram Rajan

On speculation of whether he would join the Congress, he said, “And that's what I try and do. So where I feel government policies are going off track regardless of whether I'm government or not - I talk about it.”

Talking about Rahul Gandhi and whether he advises the Congress leader, he said, “I think that's such a wrong portrayal in the sense that you know he's smart, intelligent, and also brave. I think what people discount - which they should not - is this is a family which has seen the grandmother assassinated, the father blown up.”

“To engage in politics, to be in the midst of crowds - if I had that experience I'd be hiding in a bed all the time. So I think there are a lot of attributes that are commendable and if you look at his record of what he's been saying on events. I think he's been right during Covid...(when he said) we need to do more preparation, we need to act early. It was the Congress calling off rallies which eventually led to the stopping politicking during the second wave,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi does not have all the answers, Raghuram Rajan said but “he is a very reasonable leader contrary to what has been portrayed. He has strong convictions, you have to debate those convictions if you disagree with them but he's perfectly willing to engage in that debate.”