Central Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas is under serious pressure to quit following the stinging observations from the Supreme Court on his capacity to supervise the CBI probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
Though speculation is rife about his continuation in office, a delay in this regard would severely affect the government’ credibility as the latter is already on the defensive on the issues of scams and corruption.
Now, the question is if Mr A. Raja can go from the Union Cabinet on the 2G spectrum scam then why not Mr Thomas, against whom a criminal case is pending in Kerala in the palmolein import.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday virtually questioned the tenability of Mr Thomas supervising the CBI’s investigations into the 2G spectrum scandal as he himself was telecom secretary at the relevant point of time.
“The CBI is functioning under the CVC, at that time he (Mr Thomas) was functioning as telecom secretary. It would be difficult for him to objectively monitor. He had justified the action which are being subject to scrutiny by this court and CBI. It would be difficult for him to objectively supervise,” observed a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and Ashok Kumar Ganguly.
The Congress-led UPA government is virtually cornered on the issues of corruption, impropriety and governance since the last few weeks. If Mr Ashok Chavan was its first casualty who had to quit the Maharashtra chief ministership following the Adarsh Housing scam in Mumbai, Mr Raja was the second one in the 2G scam. Even DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi could not save him.
The mess-up in the Commonwealth Games could be the third one which has already put a question mark on the role of several Congress leaders, including its Union ministers, the Delhi chief minister and MP Suresh Kalmadi about huge funds spent in organising the Games.
This is because different governmental agencies and the two-member Shunglu Committee are probing the alleged irregularities into the Games. Mr Kalmadi had to quit from the post of CPP secretary.
The case of CVC P.J. Thomas is interesting in the sense it has shown how lobbies were interested in his appointment about three months ago.
Mr Thomas, whose name still figures in the chargesheet relating to import of palmolein when he was serving in the Kerala government, is believed to have conveyed his decision to the government, sources said.
Sources said it was now up to Mr Thomas to put in his papers to the President, who is the appointing authority.
Mr Thomas, 60, who was telecom secretary till recently, was appointed to the CVC’s post by a three-member panel headed by Prime Minister but not before the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj gave a dissenting note.