'Chidambaram has been India's worst FM': Yashwant Sinha

New Delhi, July 11 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday described Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram as the country's worst finance minister.

"He (Chidambaram) is the worst finance minister that this country has seen, because he enjoyed the fruits of the effort that we had put in," said Sinha, who held the Finance Ministry portfolio during the NDA regime.

"He completely wasted the golden opportunity that he had when he presented the budget of 2008-2009 and allowed the deficit to rise from 2.5 percent to over 6.7 percent. He is really guilty of wasting the opportunities that India had four years ago," he added.

Sinha further said the BJP would be extremely disappointed if Chidambaram is once again given charge of the Finance Ministry

"I think, though it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to chose his ministers. but if Chidambaram goes back to the Finance Ministry, then I have no hesitation in saying that the BJP will be unhappy with that development, and it will be very difficult for Chidambaram to secure the cooperation of the BJP," he said.

When asked whether the Prime Minister is running away because of social pressure or economic pressure, "No, he is running away because the economy is ruined, and the PM knows he can't do anything."

Sinha was reacting to media reports, which said that a Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards and that Chidambaram may get charge of the Finance Ministry before Parliament's monsoon session beginning early next month.

The Prime Minister has been holding charge of the Finance Ministry since Pranab Mukherjee resigned on June 26 to contest the presidential election.

Chidambaram has held the Finance Ministry portfolio twice prior to his appointment as the country's home minister. (ANI)