Oppn hails verdict, wants answers

The BJP and the Left welcomed the Supreme Court’s setting aside the appointment of PJ Thomas as CVC on Thursday, attacking the government for trying to destroy institutions. HT reports.

The BJP and the Left welcomed the Supreme Court’s setting aside the appointment of PJ Thomas as CVC on Thursday, attacking the government for trying to destroy institutions.

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“The dignity of the office of the CVC has been restored,” tweeted BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who was in the selection committee and had dissented from the decision to appoint the CVC.

“The BJP welcomes the SC judgment quashing the appointment of the CVC,” said BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. “The judgment
has restored the dignity of the office of CVC and upheld the rule of law and democratic propriety.”

He accused the government of having wanted to have a pliant CVC to scuttle the 2 G spectrum probe. “Thomas was a telecom secretary and in the capacity he had sought the opinion of the law ministry that the CAG cannot examine the 2G spectrum issue because it relates to a policy matter,” Prasad said.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari dubbed the judgment a slap on the face of the government, while party leader LK Advani held Sonia Gandhi and the PM responsible for the unprecedented development.

The CPI (M) said with the verdict, the government stands exposed to the charge that they are not concerned with ensuring the integrity of the CVC or fighting corruption in high places. The politburo said in a statement that the verdict is an indictment of the government: “The manner in which the former telecom secretary was appointed as the CVC is directly related to how the UPA government handled the 2G spectrum scam.”

Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI said, “ It only shows that the government has no respect for propriety, for convention, for the rules and norms.”