RBI governor Shaktikanta Das involved in 'corruption', alleges Subramanian Swamy

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday alleged that Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das was involved in corruption. Subramanian Swamy, however, did not give any specific details about the "corruption", an allegation he had made in the past as well. "The new governor of (RBI) is highly corrupt. I got him removed from the (Finance Ministry). I am calling Shaktikanta Das as a corrupt person. I am surprised that the man I got removed from the Finance Ministry for corruption was brought in as governor," Swamy said at an interactive session at the Indian School of Business here.

ALSO READ | Jasdan, Kolebira bypoll results 2018 Live: Kunvarji Bavalia leading 

Later, when reporters asked Swamy who he thinks should head the RBI, the Rajya Sabha member named Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, professor R Vaidyanathan.

"Professor R Vaidyanathan, former professor of finance (IIM-B), would have been much better. He is also (an) old Sangh man. He is our man," he said, adding that bringing S Gurumurthy on the RBI board was a mistake.

"He (Das) was removed from the Finance Ministry because he tried to interfere in my corruption case against (senior Congress leader) Chidambaram. He is Chidambaram's 'chela' (disciple). When he was in Chennai, he was involved in a lot of corruption," Swamy said.

On being asked about the 2019 general elections, Swamy asserted that the saffron party would come back to power as "there is no anti-incumbency" against the Narendra Modi government.

ALSO READ | Sabarimala Temple: Tension prevails in Pamba as 11 women try to trek to Lord Ayyappa shrine in Kerala 

Das, who spearheaded the post-demonetisation normalisation of the economy, was named the new RBI governor on December 11, a day after incumbent Urjit Patel quit the post. Shaktikanta Das, 63, was a member of the 15th Finance Commission of India, and India's Sherpa to G-20. Das is a retired 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. Das was appointed as Union Economic Affairs Secretary by ACC in August 2016, he assumed the office of Secretary on August 31, 2016,and admitted it and simultaneously superannuated from service on May 28, 2017, after being given a three-month extension by the government. During his tenure as Union Economic Affairs Secretary, Das was widely regarded as one of the most powerful people in India.