BJP today said the Supreme Court decision quashing the appointment of P J Thomas as the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) has helped restore the "dignity" of the constitutional post and it was a "historic verdict."

"The dignity of the office of CVC has been restored," Sushma Swaraj, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, said shortly after the apex court's decision.

Swaraj, who was part of the three-member panel headed by prime minister Manmohan Singh, had opposed the appointment of Thomas as CVC and had given a dissent note. Union home minister P Chidambaram was the other member.

BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said it was a "historic" day for the rule of law and that Thomas was tainted from day one.

Another BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the prime minister should take "full responsibility" for the turn of events involving Thomas's appointment as CVC.

CPI's D Raja said the court decision was a "big blow" for the union government.

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CVC issue: BJP wants govt statement in Parliament

With the Supreme Court quashing the appointment of P J Thomas as the CVC, BJP today demanded a statement from the government in Parliament on the "serious" matter, specifying where the "mistake" was committed.

Leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley raised the issue in the House soon after Thomas quit as the central vigilance commissioner, saying the SC decision "vindicates great national aspiration".

He said the Apex court has passed "serious strictures against the government" and demanded a statement from the government, informing "how and why it (appointment of Thomas) happened."

He spoke after BJP members created uproar over the issue with some of them trooping into the Well, chanting slogans like "woh sarkar nikami hai, jo brashtachar ko rok na paye (a government which cannot stop corruption is incompetent)."

Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Ashwani Kumar said he would convey the sentiments of BJP to the government.

In the Lok Sabha, Deputy Leader of BJP Gopinath Munde raised the issue.

"The Supreme Court has declared the appointment of Thomas as illegal. This is a serious matter," Munde said.

"We want the government to make a statement and tell the House where the mistake was committed by the government," he said.

(PTI)

Honest PM to defend dishonest acts: CPI-M leader

A top Bengal CPI-M leader today said it is unfortunate that a "good and honest" prime minister like Manmohan Singh has to defend all sorts of dishonest acts and shoulder the "misdeeds" of Congress and other UPA constituents.

Reacting to today's Supreme Court judgement quashing the appointment of P J Thomas as CVC, CPI-M Central Committee member Mohammad Selim told reporters, "It is unfortunate that as an academician, economist, good bureaucrat and good prime minister, he has to defend all sorts of dishonest acts. I feel pity for him."

He said being a good man was not enough, though it had given the Congress an additional advantage during the Lok Sabha election.

"One is judged by his work, particularly when one is holding the post of prime minister," Selim said.

Selim, a member of the party's state secretariat, said one felt pity that he sought to defend the indefensible while interacting with editors of the electronic media recently.
 

(PTI)

Nitish criticises Centre over Thomas verdict

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today hailed as "historic" the quashing of the appointment of CVC P J Thomas by the Supreme Court and said the Centre had never faced such an embarrassment.

Welcoming the judgement as "historic and important", Kumar said, "Never before such situation occurred at the national level. The centre has also not faced such an embarrassment before."

The chief minister said the verdict had proved beyond doubt that the democracy of the country was "very very strong."

"The Centre in this case has deliberately overlooked the facts and later defended the decision. Now it is for the Centre to decide what steps it wants to take in future."

Ridiculing the centre, Kumar said, "The judgement is like kirkiri (particle of dust) falling in the eyes of centre."

(PTI)