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Politics

Swamy Threatens 'Bloodbath', Takes Dig at 'Waiter' Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the Invest in India Business Forum in Beijing on Friday. Credit: PTI

Waiter! There’s a gadfly in my soup. Credit: PTI

New Delhi: Taking his attack against those in charge of the finance ministry to a new level, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Subramanian Swamy today issued a veiled threat to those asking him to follow restraint saying that if he “disregarded discipline there will be a bloodbath.”

“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 attack on finance minister Arun Jaitley.

Though he did not name Jaitley, Swamy was obviously referring to the minister urging him to be restrained in the wake of his attacks on chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian on Wednesday, and to his use of the word ‘discipline’ in defending economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das yesterday – another target of a personal attack by the BJP MP.

In another apparent swipe at Jaitley – who wore a lounge suit for his engagements in Beijing this week and for his meeting with the Bank of China Chairman Tian Guoli – Swamy said ministers who wear a coat and tie “look like waiters” and must be instructed to wear Indian clothes.

Swamy has been active on Twitter over the last two-three days, attacking officials of the finance ministry and taking swipes at Jaitley.

Though no action has been taken against him, BJP leaders say they are upset by his attacks and are taking a serious view of the matter.

Party sources said there was concern in the organisation and the leadership over the unbridled criticism aimed at the finance ministry and today’s threat of a “bloodbath” over being asked to be disciplined.

But the fact that party and Sangh parivar leaders are not united behind any particular course of action is evident with sources saying they would adopt a wait- and-watch attitude for the time being.

A senior BJP leader sought to dispel the impression that Swamy, who is said to enjoy the support of RSS, has the backing of the Sangh Parivar fountainhead, claiming RSS would not support such an open attack that harms the government’s and party’s image.