The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi are "morally responsible" for the Supreme Court ruling declaring the appointment of CVC P J Thomas as illegal.
"In the last 60 years, it has never happened that an appointment made by the Prime Minister himself has been declared illegal by the Supreme Court. The PM and Sonia Gandhi are morally responsible for it and they should accept this," Chairman of BJP Parliamentary Party L K Advani told mediapersons in New Delhi.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the quashing of the appointment of Thomas by the Supreme Court is a "slap" on the government's face.
He said whatever wrong has been committed in the appointment of the CVC cannot be rectified now.
"Sushmaji had raised this issue before the PM but they did not listen to her. If the government would have considered it then they wouldn't have to face the quashing of the appointment," he told mediapersons.
The SC ruling is a "slap" on the government's face, Gadkari, who was talking to the media after addressing a seminar on corruption at the Delhi University campus, said.
Sources in the party said BJP is not likely to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister on the issue which has proved to be an embarrassment for the government.
The BJP chief also said that had the UPA government adopted an e-tendering policy, corruption would not have taken place in the 2G spectrum allocation.
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.