Demand for JPC, CVC's removal grows shriller

Making matters worse for the UPA-2 was the backing given by its main allies, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Trinamool Congress, for removal of Thomas, who refused to step down from the post insisting his conscience was clear.

Spearheading the Opposition’s offensive against the CVC, senior BJP leader L K Advani said it was for the authority himself to resign or for the government to advise him to quit since the Supreme Court had taken note of the issue.



He lashed out at the Centre saying despite the apex court’s observation on the controversial appointment, the Centre “did what they did”.
Addressing a press conference here, Advani said the government’s insistence that the CVC would not resign “goes on to vindicate our stand that the government was not serious about curbing corruption”.

The senior BJP leader said a JPC alone could get to the bottom of the multi-dimensional corruption issues including the telecom spectrum and the leaked Nira Radia tapes. He said the government was not able to convince the Opposition why the JPC should not be constituted. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj was present at the press conference.

Despite the Opposition’s offensive against him and the political impasse in Parliament, Thomas defended himself, saying, “My conscience is very clear. I am continuing as the CVC”. He dismissed as “speculative” questions on his resignation. Calling himself “impartial”, the head of the anti-corruption watchdog distanced himself from the 2G spectrum scam as well as the Palmolein import case in Kerala, over which his resignation was being sought.

“The Palmolein import case is a very old case. It did not happen in my tenure. I am not really aware of its status. The state government has a very funny stand on it,” the CVC told reporters outside his office here. Thomas was telecom secretary before he was appointed as the CVC in October 2009.

When asked whether he was under pressure to quit, Thomas said, “That is a speculative question. I do not have to answer it.”

Finance Bills passed amid din

The government on Thursday pushed through financial businesses in both the Houses amid ruckus, although the Opposition continued to stall the proceedings in Parliament over their demand for a JPC probe into the 2G scam, DHNS reports.

The Lok Sabha passed the supplementary demands of Rs 1,024.61 crore for the railways without any debate. The Lower House also passed demands for excess grants for the railways for 2008-09.