New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI): The RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) has said the next economic consultant should be one who believes in Indian ethos and values, and is not obsessed with FDI or is on sabbatical.

The SJM stated this after Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian announced to step down on Wednesday.

The organisation also alleged that Subramanian lacked an understanding of the country and “ignored” farmers.

“Subramanian lacked knowledge about India, he was obsessed with only Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and ignored the most important aspect of our economy — agriculture and farmers,” SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan told PTI.

“Like former vice-chairman of Niti Aayog Arvind Panagariya, he was also speaking the language of ‘Washington Consensus’. His agenda and purpose was not clear,” said Mahajan, who has been critical of Subramanian on various policies.

The Washington Consensus is a set of economic policy reform package promoted for crisis-wrecked developing countries, by Washington-based institutions — the IMF, the World Bank and the United States Department of the Treasury.

“We need someone who believes in Indian ethos, our values… our people. The government should appoint such a person,” the SJM co-convener said.

Mahajan, in a tweet, requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to see to it that the next CEA is one who has “faith in farmers, workers and entrepreneurs of Bharat and is not on sabbatical.”

On Wednesday, Union Minister Arun Jaitley, in a Facebook post, announced that Subramanian will quit his job.

Jaitley, who had requested Subramanian to continue for some more time after his term expired in October last year, also thanked him for his contributions.

The minister also said that he will miss Subramanian’s dynamism, energy, intellectual ability and ideas and credited the economist for various policy initiatives.

Subramanian was appointed as the CEA to the finance ministry on October 16, 2014 for a period of three years. In 2017, his term was extended for a year.