Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan breaks silence on Rahul Gandhi: “Not Pappu… a smart man”

Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan has defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that he is not a “pappu” (fool) and is instead a “smart man”. Rajan, who joined Gandhi during the Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Rajasthan in December, spoke to India Today on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, where he said that Gandhi’s image was “unfortunate”.

Rajan, who has spent close to a decade interacting with Gandhi on various fronts, said that the Congress leader was “in no way a pappu” and was instead “a smart, young, curious man”. He also said that Gandhi was “perfectly capable” of evaluating risks and priorities and that this was an important trait in a political leader.

After joining the Bharata Jodo Yatra, Rajan had previously said that 2023 would be a difficult year for the Indian economy, as well as for the rest of the world. He also said that India had failed to “generate reforms” needed for growth and that policies should be formulated keeping in mind the lower middle class, which had suffered the most due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rajan also pitched for creating a conducive environment for small and medium-scale industries and giving a push to a green revolution in the field of sustainable energy.

On Wednesday, Rajan also said that it was too premature to think that India would replace China when it comes to influencing global economic growth. However, he did say that the situation may change in the future as India is already the world’s fifth-largest economy and is growing, with the potential to keep expanding.

It is important to note that Rajan’s comments come in the wake of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, which found that India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2027. Furthermore, India’s GDP growth rate is also set to surpass China’s in 2022, according to the World Bank.

In conclusion, Rajan’s defence of Gandhi is a positive step for the Congress leader, who has often been portrayed in a negative light in the media. Rajan’s comments also highlight Gandhi’s potential as a political leader and his ability to evaluate risks and priorities, which is essential in today’s fast-paced and constantly changing world. Furthermore, Rajan’s comments on the Indian economy also paint a positive picture for India’s future, with the country set to surpass China in terms of GDP growth rate and population.