Not speaking on behalf of BJP or govt, says ‘shocked’ Swamy on CEA issue

“I have never said I speak on behalf of BJP on AS (Arvind Subramanian), but as a nationalist shocked that a GoI (Government of India) person would urge US Cong to fix India,” Swamy tweeted.

Continuing his attack on the chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said he was not speaking on behalf of the party on the issue, after the party and government distanced themselves from his attack and demand of sacking the CEA.

BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy interacted on the black money bill, in Mumbai. (Anshuman Poyrekar/)(HT file photo)

“I have never said I speak on behalf of BJP on AS (Arvind Subramanian), but as a nationalist shocked that a GoI (Government of India) person would urge US Cong to fix India,” Swamy tweeted.

The tweet came hours after finance minister Arun Jaitley debunked his call for sacking Subramanian for allegedly anti- India stand when he was IMF economist in Washington prior to joining the finance ministry.

Arvind Subramanian was appointed CEA by the BJP Government in October 2014.

To buttress his points about CEA taking anti-India stance, Swamy tweeted Subramanian’s article of 2013 titled ‘Is the Modi miracle overrated?’

He also tweeted a 2014 media report that said Subramanian as a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics had urged the US to initiate disputes against India before the WTO on drugs and pharma patents issue.

Swamy had earlier on Wednesday caused a flutter in the government when he sought Subramanian’s sacking in a series of tweets over his alleged anti-India stance.

Jaitley had to spring to defence of the CEA saying the government had “full confidence” in Subramanian and value his advice. The BJP also had distanced itself from Swamy’s comments saying they were not party line but personal views.