From intolerance to new GDP numbers, Rajan had view on all

Keeping up this reputation, Rajan on Saturday himself decided to put at rest all speculation about his continuance by saying no to a second term “on due reflection, and after consultation with the government”, but also made it clear he was “open to seeing” through his unfinished work on containing inflation and cleaning up the books of banks.

Be it speaking for tolerance after a Muslim was lynched for allegedly eating beef, comparing the Indian economy with ‘a one-eyed king in a blind world’ when strong growth was the central narrative, questioning the flagship programmes or doubting the new GDP numbers, Rajan was often vocal and not in sync with what the government would have liked it to be.

On the lines of Brexit –used for the upcoming vote on whether Britain would remain in Europe or not –the speculation over Rajan’s continuance had already prompted a new term ‘Rexit’.

When BJP’s newly-nominated Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy questioned whether Rajan was “mentally fully Indian” as part of his tirade against the RBI Governor, the former IMF Chief Economist said he would not reply to “ad hominem attacks” and give legitimacy to “so fundamentally wrong and baseless” allegations.