CAG Rai keeps political options open; flays govt again

Comptroller & Auditor General of India Vinod Rai on Friday kept up his barrage against Indian governance, saying people who have the mandate to rule are ''typical bullies".

In a speech at a US college earlier this month, Rai had accused the government of trying to reduce the country's public accounts watchdog to an accountant with no role in auditing policy.

The CAG, since Rai became its chief, has frequently taken on the government, pointing out various scams – most famously in the 2G spectrum and 'coalgate' cases.

On the verge of retirement in May, Rai is keeping his political options open. On the sidelines of a banking symposium in Mumbai, he said time alone will tell whether he will join politics. ''I will neither confirm nor deny,'' he said.

The government's top auditor said that public officials often make the statement that the "law would take its own course" over detection of large number of misdemeanours. But this does not happen at all, he regretted.

Touching upon the rash of corruption cases that have come to the fore in recent months, Rai said things have changed and the silent majority can no longer be bullied by the minority.