Urjit Patel wanted to step down months before resignation, says PM Modi

New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel wanted to resign much earlier because of personal reasons and there was no question of any political pressure on him.

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"I am revealing for the first time, he (Urjit Patel) was telling me about this for the past 6-7 months before his resignation. He gave it even in writing. He wrote to me personally," Prime Minister Modi said.

Patel resigned in December from his post citing "personal reasons" amidst reports of a rift between the RBI and the government. Prime Minister Modi, after Patel's resignation, tweeted that the RBI Governor left behind a "great legacy."

I acknowledge that Patel did a good job as RBI Governor," Prime Minister Modi added.

Former Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram has directed an attack on the BJP government in a tweet. In the tweet, he mentioned that "no self-respecting scholar or academic can work in this government." He further notified how he's "saddened but not surprised" by the decision.