New Delhi:
Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) P J Thomas may be in for more trouble with the Kerala government moving the Supreme Court to lift its stay on proceedings against Thomas in the Palmolein case.
This comes on a day when Thomas called for both punitive and preventive measures to tackle corruption.
"You know we have been concentrating on the public servant, trying to reform him, trying to punish him. The other side of it is the person who gives corruption. If he starts resisting, if somebody is likely to pay bribe for something, he says 'I will not pay' then the first stage of resistance," Thomas said.
The Supreme Court has already questioned Thomas' continuation as CVC. Now if it vacates the stay, Thomas and other accused in the case can be tried.
The stay was imposed in 2007 after prime accused in the case, former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, moved Supreme Court.
In 2005, the Congress-led government in Kerala decided to withdraw the case seen by many as a move to protect Karunakaran.
But a year later the Left Front Government under V S Achuthanandan reversed the previous government's decision.
Now the government's decision to get the stay vacated comes barely five months ahead of Assembly polls. Political observers say the move is aimed at killing two birds with one stone - to put the CVC in a further tight spot and also embarrass the Congress.