BJP decides not to target Chidambaram

MARKET CRASH

As the stock markets fell sharply for the second day, the BJP decided to take a measured approach to the crisis.

The party has decided not to repeat its demand for Finance Minister P Chidambaram's resignation. Instead, party president Rajnath Singh has asked the party to wait for at least a week and "allow the panic to die down."

While former MP Kirit Somaiyya took a belligerent stance yesterday after the markets fell, he was the only one to do so. Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad was more restrained today. "We are concerned about small investors and feel the regulatory bodies should step in to protect their interests," he said.

Sources say Singh has sent a message that the party should not contribute to the existing panic through inflammatory statements.