Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 2, 2010
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/300722/Cornered-Govt-somersaults-on-CVC.html
Just when it seemed it was a matter of time
before CVC PJ Thomas would get out of the hot seat following severe stricture
from the Supreme Court and all-round clamour for his removal by the Opposition,
the Government seems to be having second thought on letting the 'tainted babu'
go. This came even as the UPA's ally NCP also joined the 'oust Thomas' chorus.
Sixty-year-old Thomas, who was Telecom Secretary
till recently, was appointed to the CVC's post by a three-member panel headed
by the Prime Minister and consisting of Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader
of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who gave a dissenting note.
As the Government began to calculate the political ramifications of Thomas'
abrupt removal, it apprehended that asking the CVC to quit will be seen as
a major setback to the Prime Minister himself, who paid no heed to Sushma's
objection.
There were indications that before taking
a definite call on Thomas' fate, the Government would wait for the outcome
of the Supreme Court hearing on Monday when the Centre had to respond whether
it is proper for the CVC to function when a criminal case is pending against
him.
It was obvious that the Government was not
concerned about the 'moral' issue raised by the Supreme Court on continuation
of Thomas as CVC, but was determined to defend him till the last minute, as
it did in the case of former Telecom Minister A Raja, who was Thomas' previous
boss.
The news about Thomas' imminent departure
began to trickle in since Monday night when he met Home Minister P Chidambaram.
The report that Thomas offered to step down in that meeting came amid indication
that the Government would not like to be seen defending a man whose continuation
as CVC has been questioned by the Supreme Court itself.
But in shift of stance on Wednesday, the Government
found a way to let Thomas cling on to his post by agreeing to a suggestion
by the court to keep the CVC away from supervising the CBI probe into the
2G scam.
This development was conveyed by Solicitor
General Gopal Subramanium to the apex court during the hearing on the PIL
filed by Centre for Public Interest Litigation demanding the court to monitor
the probe in the case.
Subramanium said, "In accordance with
the highest traditions of civil service, he (Thomas) will recuse himself completely
from any kind of dealing with the investigation into the 2G spectrum scam."
The bench recorded the submission in its order noting the fact that Thomas
had volunteered to do so.
On Tuesday, the bench had raised serious doubts
on Thomas continuing with supervision of the probe taking into account the
objection raised by the petitioner that he was Telecom Secretary at the relevant
period which was under probe by the investigating agency.
The man in the centre of controversy, however,
gave no hint that he was ready to go any sooner. "The Government has
appointed me as CVC. I am continuing as CVC," he told reporters.
"The matter is sub judice. It is better
not to comment. Whatever proceedings are in the court it is unfair for me
to comment," Thomas said when asked about the Supreme Court's observation
about him and whether he was going to quit.
If the Government's refusal to ask Thomas
to put in his paper was seemingly prompted by its decision to keep the Prime
Minister out of the line of fire, then the same concern seems to be uppermost
in the mind of the ruling party when it came to opposing the demand for a
JPC probe in the 2G scam.
Congress leaders felt that though headed by
a ruling party leader, the JPC will not accept the demand for the Prime Minister's
appearing before the panel, but the opposition will try to insinuate that
if the Prime Minister was avoiding to come before it he has something to hide.
Sources said the Prime Minister has told the party that he would not accept
any such proposition and was totally opposed to formation of the JPC on that
count.
Meanwhile, NCP, a key Congress ally, on Wednesday
suggested that Thomas should quit in the wake of controversy over his continuance
in the post after the Supreme Court's observations against him.
"CVC is a very important constitutional
position and naturally the position should be held by a person who is absolutely
above board. Government is seized of the matter and will deal accordingly,"
senior NCP leader and Union Minister Praful Patel told reporters.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyaya,
speaking separately, said that the issue should be discussed among Congress
allies.
"We think it is proper that let this
issue be discussed among the UPA allies once because what I think is that
UPA partners should exchange ideas among themselves," he said.
At the same time, BJP expressed surprise at
the Thomas' decision not to resign but to recuse himself from the 2G spectrum
scam probe, saying the CVC is not appointed to look into minor cases and demanded
that he should be sacked on corruption charges.
"Yesterday I had said that the CVC should
not be allowed to step down but should be sacked. I was surprised when I heard
him saying today that he will not resign but will recuse himself from 2G spectrum
probe. The CVC is not appointed to look into theft of Government petrol,"
Deputy Leader of the BJP in Rajya Sabha SS Ahluwalia said.
Alleging that the 2G scam was the biggest
scam in the country, Ahluwalia said, "If he will not look into this scam
then which one will he look into. The CVC is appointed to keep a vigilant
eye on any corruption happening in the country."
Thomas is facing charges in a palmolein oil
import case and was the Telecom Secretary when the 2G spectrum allocations
were made.
