Central Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas wants to stay on despite the controversies surrounding him, but is unlikely to prolong matters following the Supreme Court’s stinging observations on his capacity to supervise the CBI probe into the 2G spectrum scam and the Opposition’s attack. Even the UPA allies are refusing to defend him and his staying on is likely to embarrass the Centre, especially Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

On Wednesday, Mr Thomas said, “The government has appointed me CVC. I am continuing as CVC.” But sources said it is only a matter of time before he puts in his papers.
On Wednesday, the government’s counsel also told the Supreme Court that Mr Thomas would recuse from supervising the CBI probe into the 2G scam. But the Opposition said Mr Thomas’ offer to recuse himself was an attempt by the government to “bail him out” with Mr Venkaiah Naidu of the BJP and Ms Brinda Karat of the UPA insisting on his resignation. The NCP, an UPA ally, also said the CVC should resign after the Supreme Court’s observations.
Sources said that while Mr Thomas is continuing as CVC, behind-the-scene efforts are on to persuade him to resign. The government apparently does not want any further embarrassment in the Supreme Court, which had questioned Mr Thomas’ capacity to supervise the functioning of the CBI when he himself faces a chargesheet in a corruption case in Kerala. Mr Thomas had met Union home minister P. Chidambaram recently.
Mr Thomas, a former secretary in the telecom ministry, which is at the centre of the 2G spectrum storm, was appointed CVC by a three-member panel headed by the PM but not before Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj gave a dissenting note.
“I was appointed by the government taking into considerations all these (matters). There is no controversy. There is some old case in which a Supreme Court stay is there. These are judicial matters which will be settled. The law will take its own course,” the CVC said.
Responding to the Supreme Court bench’s observations, Solicitor-General Gopal Subramanium on Wednesday informed the court, “In accordance with the highest tradition, Thomas has offered to recuse himself from the matter.”
The Opposition was relentless in its insistence that Mr Thomas resign. “This is no way to deal with the issue. You go to the Supreme Court and tell the court that he will not inquire into... Then what is the CVC for? He is the head of an institution, he is supposed to guide, supervise and monitor the probe, and if he is going to do this (recuse himself) then what he is he (there) for? This is a way to bail him out from the present situation and to bail out the government from embarrassment,” senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told reporters outside Parliament House.
Mr Naidu said the CVC recusing himself would not carry any conviction with anybody and added, “There is no other way other than the CVC resigning.” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said the appointment “itself was not on a sound footing”. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said Mr Thomas’ offer was inadequate and insisted on his resignation. “The court should once again provide evidence of his intention to cover up the scam. Firstly, appointing a person to the post of CVC knowing that he would have to look into the 2G scam... Who was deeply involved in that scam, or cover-up of that scam, is itself unethical,” Ms Karat told reporters here, adding, “It’s a question of resignation and not recusing himself. Therefore, this is further evidence of the government’s lack of ethics or morality in this case.”
Asked if the CVC’s offer to recuse himself was of any purpose, and whether the two matters (Mr Thomas’ alleged role in the matter while he was telecom secretary and him being part of the probe into the case) were connected, Ms Karat said, “It is deeply connected and that is why we are saying that to have a proper, impartial inquiry, a JPC is the best method.”
The NCP, a key Congress ally, suggested Mr Thomas quit 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. The government is seized of the matter and will deal with it accordingly,” senior NCP leader and Union minister Praful Patel told reporters.
Trinamul Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyaya, speaking separately, said the issue should be discussed among the Congress allies.