In a veiled attack on party general secretary Digvijay Singh, a senior Congress leader on Monday disfavoured any "cosmetic surgery" in Congress following the assembly poll debacle as AICC ruled out a "gag order" on suggestions except that they should not be "unifocal on the leadership issue".

Amid demands for drastic overhaul of Congress, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, a member of the Rajy Sabha, said what the party needed was a "cardiac surgery" and "cosmetic surgery" will not do.

In a pot shot at Digvijay Singh who had favoured a major surgery in the organisation, Chaturvedi said "those who are talking of surgery needed to introspect as because of them the party has come to such a pass." Chaturvedi, a former party spokesperson, hails from Madhya Pradesh, the home state of Singh, and is his known detractor.

"Cardiac surgery is necessary. The party will have to think about those people under whose leadership the party had to face such a defeat," Chaturvedi said apparently training his guns on the leaders in the states where the party lost.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi was subjected to a lot of questions on the issue of organizational overhaul and statements by several leaders, including him, on the exercise. He dismissed the contention that suggestion for a reform or improvement in the party were against the interests of the organisation.

Responding to questions, he said there was no gag order against any suggestions provided they are not aimed at destabilising the party by giving "unifocal look" at the leadership.

The statement of the Congress spokesperson was significant given the fact that only two days back another party spokesperson P C Chako has said that Singh should have made sugestions in party fora. There has been disquiet in a section of the party for not taking any action since the last Lok Sabha polls defeat two years back to set the house in order. This section feels that there has been much introspection and what is needed is action.