Don't shoot messenger; address the malice instead: Ex-CAG Vinod Rai

NEW DELHI: Facing criticism from various Congress leaders for remarks made in his new book, former CAG Vinod Rai today said the approach should be to address the malice, and not to "shoot the messenger".

"Why shoot the messenger and why not address the malice?" Rai observed while officially releasing the book that has already sparked a political storm with a sharp criticism of various issues faced by him during his tenure as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India from 2008-2013.

Among other issues, 'The Diary of the Nation's Conscience Keeper - Not Just an Accountant' touches upon controversial matters such as irregularities in 2G spectrum and coal block allocations, as well as the role of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during that time.

Releasing the book to a packed hall here this evening, Rai emphasised that the book "is not about wanting to button hole anybody... and also not about fixing responsibility on anybody".

Recalling that he wrote the book with great "trepidation" in his heart and mind, Rai said he thought there was probably a good story to tell.

However, "after seeing the canard" in the last few days, he felt very happy and very contended about his decision to write this book, Rai said while replying to his critics.
According to Rai, he had no real intention of writing the book when he retired.

He retired as Comptroller and Auditor General last year. "Actually when I retired I had no real intention of writing. But five, six months later when I found the innuendos and the issues which were coming to the press and media space... I thought the younger generation of the country which seem more demanding needs to be informed about the true perspective of what it is all about," he said.

At the launch function, there was also a panel discussion about the book that saw the participation of former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian and Supreme Court Lawyer Karuna Nandy, among others.