Shaktikanta Das will diminish RBI, says Congress

New Delhi: The Congress attacked the government on appointing Shaktikanta Das as RBI Governor. The party alleged that he would play to the tunes of the government and that choosing a bureaucrat who defended demonetisation, instead of an eminent economist, will diminish the institution.

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said that Das was the second person to be appointed at a key post for defending the 2016 demonetisation move and it showed the government's insensitivity towards common people. The Congress leader was apparently referring to the recent appointment of Krishnamurthy Subramanian as the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) as the first such instance.

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Chidambaram tweeted, "Government has appointed two persons who vocally supported demonetisation to two key posts. What does it say about the Modi government? Is government telling the people of the country 'we don't care what you think, we will do exactly as we please'?"

It is to be mentioned that on Tuesday government appointed Das, who as Economic Affairs Secretary steered the monetary situation post-demonetisation, as the new Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, a day after Urjit Patel resigned amidst a tiff with the government on the central bank's autonomy.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also attacked the government on Das's appointment saying the new incumbent would play to the tunes of the government.

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"Shaktikanta Das our new RBI Governor... A bureaucrat not an economist... Defended demonetisation. The Pied Piper will play the tune and the RBI will follow. Inevitable outcome will be that RBI's reserves will be used for government doles. Yet another institution will diminish," he said in a tweet.