BJP slams PM, Sonia for defending CVC

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday cornered the government for 'defending' Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas in the Supreme Court, asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi as to what was the 'compulsion' to defend the 'tainted' official and attack the upright comptroller and auditor general.

"This is a curious position that the government of India is unabashedly trying to defend a tainted CVC and unleashing an aggressive attack on an upright CAG. But in the process the institutional credibility of both is getting weakened," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The government, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court, had on Monday defended Thomas and his appointment as CVC. Alleging that the government had "deliberately not done its homework on some appointments", Prasad maintained that even in the case of appointment of junior officers, 'due diligence' is practised, but it had been given the go-by while making Thomas the CVC.

"Dr Manmohan Singh, what is the compulsion that you are so aggressively defending the indefensible, namely the tainted CVC," Prasad asked.

He cited a government circular dated September 14, 1992 to argue that government servants under suspension, or against whom disciplinary action or criminal charges are pending, can be given only ad hoc promotions. He said the government has to ensure while promoting an officer that it is not against public interest.

"The BJP would like to know from the government that if such restrictions are there in case of a simple officer of a government, are the same provisions not applicable in the case of the CVC," he said, adding that "a proper criminal proceeding is pending against the CVC".

Prasad asked the prime minister why, despite Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj's objection to Thomas' appointment as CVC, the government had gone ahead.

"In the light of all this, the prime minister should tell us that even the appointment of a simple officer in his government is done with due diligence, but this was done for the senior-most official and watchdog of corruption," Prasad said.

The BJP also posed questions to Congress President Sonia Gandhi while taking digs at her five-points for fighting corruption.

"I want to ask Sonia Gandhi, you are giving five bullet points of do's and don'ts to Congressmen to prevent corruption. Madam Sonia Gandhi, there are no do's and don'ts in case of the CVC? Certainly the country is entitled to know," Prasad said.