New Delhi, Nov. 12: Minister of state in the PMO V. Narayanasamy’s remarks on contemplating to make the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) a multi-member body has annoyed the Congress leadership and the government.

Though Narayanasamy slipped into denial mode, arguing that he was misquoted, news agency PTI, which conducted the interview, described the change of stance as “retraction” by the minister.

The Congress quickly moved into damage-control mode, with spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit clarifying that the government won’t do anything in response to individual conduct, and the institutional necessities for such a change, if required, would be taken into consideration. The government is alive to the possibility of this controversy creating an impression that the watchdog was being silenced by corrupt elements.

One Congress leader said that this unseemly row had erupted barely a few days after Rahul Gandhi advocated an open and transparent system, hailing the virtues of the Right to Information Act at the party’s Surajkund conclave. He said: “We never intended to weaken the institution of the CAG despite obvious disagreements with Vinod Rai. I am sure the Prime Minister, too, would have told off the minister for making that irresponsible remark.”

Other Congress leaders felt there was no need to discuss this matter openly as the government was not in a position to manage the requisite numbers for a constitution amendment, which such a change would require in the CAG, even if a view in support of this idea existed somewhere.