Yet another Swamy swipe at Jaitley, BJP headache gets worse

SENIOR BJP leaders indicated Friday that the party was “upset” with its Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy and that action could be taken against him if he did not stop his attacks on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and senior bureaucrats.

The leaders said that Swamy had overstepped the “limits of decency” while “weakening the foundations of the government” with his public criticism, including what could be construed as personal attacks against Jaitley.

On Friday, Swamy posted this tweet: “BJP should direct our Ministers to wear traditional and modernised Indian clothes while abroad. In coat and tie they look like waiters.” While he didn’t name any minister, the tweet came within minutes of TV channels beaming images of Jaitley wearing a coat and tie, meeting officials and business delegates in Beijing while on an official visit.

On Thursday, Swamy had told reporters: “Jaitleyji kya bole, kya nahi bole isse mujhe kya lena dena (What do I have to do with what Jaitley says)? I speak to Prime Minister and the (BJP) party president when required.”

Sources in the party, including those who work closely with the RSS, said that Swamy’s diatribe against Jaitley, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das did not have the Sangh’s backing. “The BJP is wedded to a certain culture of discipline. You cannot make public statements like this. You can’t go after ministers like this,” said a senior party leader.

At least three BJP general secretaries favoured a “strong reaction” from the top leadership against Swamy, who has continued to target Jaitley in his tweets. A day after Jaitley tweeted in defence of bureaucrats in the Finance Ministry who were targeted by Swamy, the Rajya Sabha MP responded in a tweet:

Subramanian Swamy & Arun Jaitley