Chidambaram targets Jaitley over Hooda’s appointment

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) A day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slammed the Congress over Lt. General (retired) D.S. Hooda's appointment as a member of the committee on national security, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram hit back saying the BJP needs no one as it has Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a series of tweets, the former Finance Minister said, "Jaitley has debunked the Congress for requesting Lt. General Hooda to advise on national security. He should have added the BJP needs no advice because it has Modi."

Taking a pot shot at Jaitley, Chidambaram said, "the BJP does not need someone like (former Reserve Bank of India chief) Raghuram Rajan to head the RBI, because it has Modi. The BJP does not need a Planning Commission, because it has Modi."

Slamming the BJP, the Congress leader said the BJP does not need a national statistics commission because it has Modi. "Actually, the BJP does not need a cabinet, because it has Modi," he added.

Jaitley in his blog had said Hooda's appointment was grudging "recognition" and "acceptance" of the 2016 surgical strikes that India carried out to avenge the soldiers' killing in Uri.

Jaitley said the new advisor would render advice to Congress President Rahul Gandhi on strategic issues and consistency on national security.

On Thursday, the Congress announced that the Army's former Northern Command chief who directed the 2016 cross-LoC surgical strikes will head a task force on national security at the behest of the party.

The decision was announced after a meeting between party President Rahul Gandhi and Hooda.

The team members of the task force would be picked by Hooda to prepare a "vision paper for the country in consultation with a select group of experts."