New Delhi: As Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s top brass is busy prepping for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, its MP Subramanian Swamy is keeping himself occupied in his trademark style, taking brazen potshots at the party’s key leader.
Swamy’s so-far masked, though obvious, criticism of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has finally became overtly public and no-holds barred.
Early Thursday, the controversial Rajya Sabha MP took to microblogging site Twitter to attack Jaitley for “targeting honest officers” of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
“If FM had not targeted honest officers of of the ED and DRI I would have got charges framed against TDK PC and Buddhu and trial commenced. Bail gaadi would have become Tihar nivasi . Removal of CBI’s Alok Kumar was another betrayal of fight against corruption,” he said.
If FM had not targeted honest officers of of the ED and DRI I would have got charges framed againstTDK PC and Buddhu and trial commenced. Bail gaadi would have become Tihar nivasi . Removal of CBI’s Alok Kumar was another betrayal of fight against corruption
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) March 28, 2019
While this is hardly the first time Swamy has taken a swipe at Jaitley — with whom he has shared a tumultuous equation — it stands out because he chose to refer directly to the finance minister and not cloak it like he usually does.
Past jibes
Swamy, who entered the Rajya Sabha in April 2016, has had a history of lashing out at Jaitley. He has also consistently baited the government, lashing out at its civil servants through tweets.
In October last year, when the internal battle in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was at its peak with its then chief Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana at war, Swamy apparently targeted Jaitley and some top officials in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“The Gang of Four may presently swear by Namo but their aim is to structure the head ships of key institutions especially CBI ED IT RAW RBI etc by March 2019 to prepare, if BJP gets less than 220 LS seats, to foist a Congi friendly insider patron as PM: Coup d’état in the making,” he said.
The Gang of Four may presently swear by Namo but their aim is to structure the head ships of key institutions especially CBI ED IT RAW RBI etc by March 2019 to prepare, if BJP gets less than 220 LS seats, to foist a Congi friendly insider patron as PM: Coup d’état in the making
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) October 23, 2018
By referring to the ‘gang of four’, Swamy seemed to indicate how those close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi may harm him.
While these are more recent, the Swamy-Jaitley slugfest has been a regular feature.
In June 2016, Jaitley had urged Swamy to be restrained and disciplined after he attacked then chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian as well as economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das.
Not one to sit quietly, Swamy hit right back, using but of course, his favourite tool — Twitter.
“People giving me unasked for advice of discipline and restraint don’t realise that if I disregard discipline there would be a bloodbath,” he tweeted in an obvious counter to Jaitley.
People giving me unasked for advice of discipline and restraint don't realise that if I disregard discipline there would be a blood bath
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 24, 2016
Then again, after photographs emerged of Jaitley meeting Bank of China chairman Tian Guoli in Beijing in a suit in June 2016, Swamy took his attack to a more personal level.
“BJP should direct our Ministers to wear traditional and modernised Indian clothes while abroad. In coat and tie they look like waiters,” he tweeted.
BJP should direct our Ministers to wear traditional and modernised Indian clothes while abroad. In coat and tie they look like waiters
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 24, 2016
Later, however, he clarified that his remarks weren’t aimed at anyone and he thought Jaitley looked “very smart in a coat”.
In January last year, Swamy said he was apprehensive about lawyers being finance ministers — an unmistakable jibe at Jaitley and also his predecessor P. Chidambaram, both lawyers.
The same month, he posted a tweet quoting an article with the headline “Mr. Jaitley, have you admonished your morning walk buddy Rohatgi for welcoming the 2G trial court Judgment?”
Mr. Jaitley, have you admonished your morning walk buddy Rohatgi for welcoming the 2G trial court Judgment? https://t.co/Wb6eybDjnl via @PGurus1
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) January 7, 2018
The article was critical of former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi for what it claimed was him “welcoming the controversial judgement” in the 2G case. The trial court had acquitted all the accused in the scam.
Also read: Grand old party of Indian politics has sadly been taken captive by a dynasty: Arun Jaitley
Not just Jaitley
It isn’t, however, just Jaitley who has been at the receiving end of Swamy’s Twitter tirade. The controversial MP has often attacked the Modi government as a whole as well.
In a tweet on 24 October last year, he said, “The players in the CBI massacre are about to suspend ED’s Rajeshwar (Singh) so that he cannot file the chargesheet against PC. If so I will have no reason to fight the corrupt since my govt is hell bent on protecting them. I shall then withdraw from all the corruption cases I have filed.”
The players in the CBI massacre are about to suspend ED’s Rajeshwar so that he cannot file the chargesheet against PC. If so I will have no reason to fight the corrupt since my govt is hell bent on protecting them. I shall then withdraw from all the corruption cases I have filed.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) October 24, 2018
Another tweet by him the same day said the BJP would win comfortably in 2019, but ironically, he simultaneously talked of the government’s “poor economic record”.
“It now seems that 2019 will be an easy majority win for BJP because of our youth voters’ rising nationalist & Hindutva fervour placing that sentiment above the poor economic record so far. Once Ram Temple construction and Bail Gaadi goes to Tihar Vihar, BJP will net 350 LS MPs,” his tweet read.
It now seems that 2019 will be an easy majority win for BJP because of our youth voters’ rising nationalist&Hindutva fervour placing that sentiment above the poor economic record so far. Once Ram Temple construction and Bail Gaadi goes to Tihar Vihar, BJP will net 350 LS MPs
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) October 24, 2018
A day prior to that, someone on the microblogging site asked Swamy for his take on a situation where BJP manages around 220 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections and Nitin Gadkari emerges as the first choice for Prime Minister.
“Would welcome it and support it if asked,” he tweeted, adding to the speculation around a section of BJP preparing for a Plan B to displace Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, he posted another tweet within a minute, “We are getting majority bigger than before so stop asking hypothetical questions.”
BJP says comments ‘unnecessary’
The party, meanwhile, believes Swamy’s online takes are “unnecessary and often embarrassing”, but knows the mercurial politician can hardly be stopped.
“It is unnecessary, particularly at this point when winning the elections should be our only focus and we need to portray a united front. It often gets embarrassing,” said a BJP leader who did not wish to be identified.
“But everyone knows Swamy, he is unstoppable and there isn’t much anybody can do,” added the BJP leader.
Also read: Subramanian Swamy backs RBI governor Urjit Patel against finance minister Jaitley
Early on, he should have been offered tenancy of the Malabar Hill Raj Bhavan.
great ruhi, how about taking swami comment on sonia and rahul and displaying your greatness again.