Raghuram Rajan joins Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra; BJP takes a dig at him

Reserve Bank of India's former governor Raghuram Rajan joined Rahul Gandhi during the Congress-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan.

ByPTI

Published Dec 14, 2022 | 10:05 PMUpdatedDec 15, 2022 | 8:47 AM

Raghuram Rajan Bharat Jodo Yathra

Reserve Bank of India’s former Governor Raghuram Rajan on Wednesday, 14 December, joined Rahul Gandhi during the Congress-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on 7 September, is passing through Rajasthan. The yatra will complete 100 days on Friday, 16 December.

The yatra resumed from the Bhadoti area of Sawai Madhopur on Wednesday and reached Badhshapura for a morning break.

Rajan walked with Gandhi during this leg of the yatra on Wednesday.

“#BharatJodoYatra Shri Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of RBI, shaking steps with @RahulGandhi ji… The increasing number of people standing up to unite the country against hatred shows that we will be successful,” The Indian National Congress tweeted along with a picture of Rajan walking with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

BJP ridicules Rajan

The BJP on Wednesday took a swipe at former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan after he joined the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra and said his commentary on India’s economy should be discarded with “disdain” as it is “coloured and opportunistic”.

BJP’s Foreign Affairs Department head Vijay Chauthaiwale tweeted, “One former RBI governor became head of govt and country lost ten precious years. Thanks to Modi, India will not repeat that mistake. RRR (Raghuram Rajan) can walk from Delhi to Chicago.”

The party’s IT department head Amit Malviya said, “Raghuram Rajan, former RBI Governor, a Congress appointee, joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a surprise. He fancies himself as the next Manmohan Singh. Just that his commentary on India’s economy should be discarded with disdain. It is coloured and opportunistic.”

Appointed as RBI governor during the Congress-led UPA reign, Rajan has been a critic of some aspects of the BJP government’s policies, including its handling of the economy.

Raghuram Rajan was the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between September 2013 and September 2016.

Between 2003 and 2006, he was the chief economist and director of research at the International Monetary Fund.

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While the BJP targeted Rajan, Congress leaders expressed happiness at the noted economist joining the yatra.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “A strong and sound economy is a combination of growth and welfare. Our vision is to reclaim that India. We are glad that former RBI Governor and leading economist, Shri Raghuram Rajan joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in our endeavour to build an agenda for the future.”

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