Yashwant Sinha has found an ally in Congress: BJP

He also cited his remarks at the release of a book authored by Congress leader Manish Tewari to claim that it has become clear now from where he is getting all his inputs on economy.

Coming out openly against the former finance minister, BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said Sinha’s assertion that he was like Bhishma was also an admission that he was on the side of the Kauravas.

"It has become clear today from where he is drawing all his wisdom. His presence at an event of a Congress leader shows that who are influencing his economics. This is very unfortunate," he said.

In a retort to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that some people liked to spread pessimism like Shalya, another 'Mahabharat' character, Sinha had said he was like Bhishma and that he would not allow the economy to be “disrobed”. 

Another BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said Sinha claims to be a “know-all” economist but is conveniently glossing over his own “disastrous performance” as finance minister when he had pledged India's gold overseas.

“He has become an unabashed apologist for the corrupt, inflationary, anti-poor and disastrous economic governance of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. He has found a new ally in the Congress to seek his next job. It remains to be seen what a 'jobless' Rahul Gandhi can offer to an ever job-seeking Sinha,” Rao said.

Taking a dig, he said Sinha is acting as the Shishupal of Mahabharata with the count of his personal abuses "reaching the tolerance point".

Sinha raised the hackles of the BJP leadership after he targeted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in an article in a national English daily for the "mess" in the economy. He was also critical of the government's policy in Jammu and Kashmir.