Subramanian Swamy
Subramanian Swamy (born 15 September 1939) is an Indian politician, economist and statistician. Before joining politics, he was a professor of Mathematical Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.[1] He is known for his Hindu nationalist views.[2] Swamy was a member of the Planning Commission of India and was a Cabinet Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government. Between 1994 and 1996, Swamy was Chairman of the Commission on Labour Standards and International Trade under former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. Swamy was a long-time member of the Janata Party, serving as its president until 2013 when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[3] He has written on foreign affairs of India dealing largely with China, Pakistan and Israel. He was nominated to Rajya Sabha on 26 April 2016 for a six-year term, ending on 24 April 2022.
In this Indian name, the name Subramanian is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Swamy.
Subramanian Swamy
Rajaram Gopal Kulkarni
15 September 1939
Mylapore, Madras Presidency, British India
(present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
Bharatiya Janata Party (2013–present)
Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1974–1977)
Janata Party (1977–2003 ; 2003-2013)
All India Progressive Janata Dal (2003)
- Gitanjali Swamy
- Suhasini Haidar
Politician, economist, statistician
Political career
Early politics
Swamy's career started with his involvement in the Sarvodaya movement, which was an apolitical movement but which formed the foundation of the creation of Janata Party later.[26] The real turn in his political career came after his sacking from IIT. Liberal economic policies put forward by him did not go well with the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who sneered at his plans as 'Santa Claus with unrealistic ideas'. He was later expelled from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. This marked the beginning of his active political career. As a staunch opponent of Indira Gandhi, the opposition part, Bharatiya Jana Sangh sent him to Rajya Sabha – the upper house of Indian Parliament.[8]
He was an elected Member of Lok sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament five times between 1974 and 1999. As a Lok Sabha member, he represented the city of Mumbai North East twice (1977 and 1980) and later the city of Madurai (1998). As a Rajya Sabha member, herepresented Uttar Pradesh (1974) in the Parliament.[8]
During the Emergency (1975–1977)
During the period of the Emergency, he fled to the United States, seeking haven with an Indian businessman in Michigan who had become the spokesperson of the opposition in the United States. In 1976, when the Emergency was still in force and an arrest warrant had been issued in his name, Swamy came to Parliament to attend the session and managed to escape India after the session was adjourned. This act of defiance was well received in the eyes of opposition parties.[27][28]
In Janata Party
In 1981, he along with Harish Rawat and 13 others led first pilgrimage to Kailash–Manasarovar after 1962 Sino-Indian War.[29] In 1984, Swamy stated his opinion that Janata Party should focus on organisational levels of the party.[30] In February 1984, he filed his nomination for Janata Party President against Chandra Shekhar, but lost.[31][32] In the same year, 1984, Swamy was expelled from Janata Party after he levelled allegations against Chandra Shekhar that Shekhar had manipulated the Janata Party presidency election.[33] Subsequently, he joined Lok Dal, party of former Prime Minister Charan Singh.[34] He fought 1984 Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North East Lok Sabha constituency on Lok Dal ticket, but lost.[35]
In May 1988, Lok Dal (A) was merged with Janata Party with Ajit Singh as its president and Swamy became general secretary of Janata Party.[36][37] Later in October 1988, Janata Dal was formed by merging major opposition parties with Janata Party one of its constituent. But Swamy along with Indubhai Patel, H. D. Deve Gowda, Syed Shahabuddin, Sarojini Mahishi refused to accept the merger of Janata Party into Janata Dal and remained in Janata Party.[38][39] In December 1990, he was elected as president of Janata Party by Central Parliamentary Board.[40]
Court petitions
Complaint against Jayalalithaa
In 1996, Swamy had filed a criminal complaint against Jayalalithaa which led to her prosecution, conviction and sentencing to four years imprisonment by the trial court in 2014.[61] Later, on 11 May 2015, a special Bench of the Karnataka High Court set aside the trial court order convicting former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, who was acquitted of all charges in the disproportionate assets case.[62][63] An Appeal against the High court verdict was filed in Supreme Court.[64] The final verdict of Supreme Court came in February 2017 that indicted Jayalalitha posthumously and upheld the trial court judgement in toto.[65]
Phone tapping allegation
Swamy released a letter alleging that former intelligence chief had asked DoT to tap the phone of many politicians and businessmen in Karnataka[66] when Ramakrishna Hegde, the then Chief Minister, resigned in 1988.[67] Hegde then filed a case against him in 1989 and 1990.[68][69][70]