Arun Jaitley says he disapproves personal attacks on Raghuram Rajan

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said he does not approve of "personal comments" against anyone including the RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan.

His comment comes shortly after BJP MP Subramanian Swamy stepped up his tirade against Rajan.

Jaitley said: "I don't approve of personal comments against anyone, let alone the RBI Governor."

The Reserve Bank, he said, is an important institution which makes its own judgement.

"One can agree or disagree with their judgment, but that's a debate on issues. But I don't think we should allow a public discourse where instead of debate on issues we concentrate on debate on persons," he further added.
In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi within a fortnight, Swamy has sought immediate dismissal of the RBI Governor alleging that Rajan was "mentally not fully Indian" and has "wilfully" wrecked the economy by keeping interest rate high.

Swamy also accused Rajan of sending confidential and sensitive financial information around the world.

Meanwhile, Jaitley said RBI and the government are in continuous dialogue and that relationship will continue.

"And I hope from the later part of this year, the Monetary Policy Committee will get into action and therefore, both the bank and the government nominees will have to sit together and decide monetary policy," he said.

Rajan's tenure is scheduled to end in early September.