Congress leader Manish Tewari told reporters that the "real target" behind the attack on RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan could be Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. (File photo)
The Congress today came down hard on the BJP over Subramanian Swamy's "unprecedented" attack on RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence showed "obvious complicity".
Party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters that the "real target" behind the attack on Mr Rajan could be Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Deriding the BJP as "slayer" of institutions, he said that by attacking the RBI Governor they are attacking the RBI.
"It is not an attack on an individual, but an institution, perhaps for the first time in 67 years. They are sending a message, 'if you don't play ball, we'll hound you.'
"Why is the PM silent? Why hasn't he spoken. The silence is deafening. An attack on the Governor of the RBI is unprecedented", he said.
Mr Tewari felt the attack on Mr Rajan could be linked to some crony capitalists close to this Government "scared" that their names might come up as RBI has directed banks to declare the quantum NPAs so the "extent of the rot can be exposed".
"Could the reason for the attack is because RBI has changed its position, now saying names of wilful defaulters be made public", he said.
"Another angle to the attack is that it could be aimed at the Governor, but the real target can be the Finance Minister," he said, adding "the BJP government is the slayer of institutions--BJP's first step was to abolish the Planning Commission & convert it to the NITI Aayog."
This, he said, was done despite the Planning Commission being a "neutral arbitrator" between States and Centre. It had long-term economic vision.
"The 12th Plan ends in 2017, what'll take its place? he wondered.
When the Judiciary adjudicated against the Centre, then the BJP government says that Judiciary is breaking the executive brick by brick, Mr Tewari lamented.