‘Perfectly happy with my job’: Raghuram Rajan clears air on his political ambitions

Raghuram Rajan said his participation in Bharat Jodo Yatra was in the capacity of a concerned citizen.

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan dismissed speculation about joining politics that had arisen recently after he joined Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. On being asked if he could be the next finance minister, Rajan said that he is perfectly happy with the job he is doing.

"I believe strongly in Indian democracy. I believe strongly in communal harmony. I believe strongly that our institutions need to be protected. So, it was a walk to say those are the elements of Bharat Jodo that I fully agree with. Bharat Jodo is integrating India together," Rajan said in an interview to moneycontrol at the WEF in Davos.

Rajan joined the yatra from Sawai Madhopur to Dausa in Rajasthan on December 14 and walked with Rahul Gandhi in what he later described was in his capacity as a concerned citizen of India.

"#BharatJodoYatra Shri Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of RBI, shaking steps with @RahulGandhi ji... The increasing number of people standing up to unite the country against hatred shows that we will be successful," The Indian National Congress tweeted along with a picture of Rajan walking with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

There was a candid interaction between Rahul Gandhi and Rajan as well on issues like unemployment and rising prices. Congress has lauded Rajan for being fearless in his criticism of BJP's economic policies.

Also read: Is Raghuram Rajan gunning to be the next Manmohan Singh of Congress party?

Rajan’s participation in the yatra came under attack from the BJP. BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said Rajan fancies himself as the next Manmohan Singh.

“Raghuram Rajan, former RBI Governor, a Congress appointee, joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a surprise. He fancies himself as the next Manmohan Singh. Just that his commentary on India’s economy should be discarded with disdain. It is coloured and opportunistic,” Malviya had tweeted.

The yatra started in Kanyakumari on September 7 and will enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19. Many Congress leaders praised Rahul Gandhi for leading the march.