SC decision erodes moral authority of PM: Left

The Left Front on Thursday said the Supreme Court's quashing of the appointment of P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner was 'another serious blow' to the United Progressive Alliance government which is facing major corruption cases.

"I think what the court said today only vindicates the position our party has taken at the outset. Now the government, which is facing major corruption charges, has to answer why they have been taking such decisions," Communist Party of India Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.

Thomas, who is facing a corruption case in Kerala related to the Palmolein import scam, resigned immediately after the apex court struck down his appointment just six months after he took over the post.

Terming the quashing of Thomas' appointment as CVC "a serious blow and a stricture against the government", Communist Part of India leader D Raja said the apex court's ruling would "erode the moral authority of the prime minister and the home minister as the Leader of the Opposition had distanced herself from this appointment. The government should be held accountable".

A high-powered committee, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had cleared the appointment of Thomas, the then Union telecom secretary, as CVC.

Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, a member of the committee, had opposed the appointment. Home Minister P Chidambaram is the other member.

Raja also said Thomas should have stepped down on his own as soon as the controversy broke out several months ago.

"But he remained rigid till the Supreme Court struck down his appointment and his continuance in the position became untenable," he said.

His party colleague Gurudas Dasgupta said this was 'yet another blow' to the credibility of the government.

"It only shows that the government has no respect for propriety, for convention, for the rules and norms. The government is being run by individuals according to the whims or orders from some unseen person who is trying to run the show," he said.