Swamy's new target: Economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das

NEW DELHI: Not even the government can keep a determined Subramanian Swamy down. On Thursday, he's back to attacking bureaucrats.

The Rajya Sabha BJP MP's latest target is Shaktikanta Das, the Secretary of Economic Affairs, who's said to be one of the candidates being considered for the post of RBI governor. And attacking Swamy back, for the second day in a row, is Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

"I think there a property deal case pending against him (Das) for assisting PC (P Chidamabaram) swallow Mahabalipuram prime locations, Swamy tweeted on Thursday, in response to another tweet saying Das should be sacked.

"An unfair and false attack on a disciplined civil servant in the finance ministry," Finance Minister Jaitley tweeted back referring to Swamy's attack on Das.

This fresh salvo from Swamy comes a day after he demanded that chief economic advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian be sacked for being 'anti-national." The CEA is also said to be among the candidates being considered for RBI governor. Before that, for all of May, Swamy's target was RBI governor Raghuram Rajan.

Jaitley - who some allege didn't come out in support of Rajan - on Wednesday strongly backed the CEA, just as he did Das today.

"Government has full confidence in CEA Arvind Subramanian, he has provided valuable insights from time to time," Jaitley said on Wednesday.

Even his party came out against its Rajya Sabha MP on Wednesday.

"The party does not agree with his (BJP MP Swamy's) views. This is completely his personal opinion," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"Swamy then: "I don't care what Jaitey says, I have nothing to do with that.. I can speak to the party president and the PM myself.
On Thursday morning, Swamy said he will suspend his demand to sack chief economic advisor Subramanian.

Swamy didn't mention then that he has found another target.

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