New Delhi:
The controversy over the CVC's appointment may have been bad news for the government, but it has also brought trouble for the BJP.
The divide in the top ranks of the party over the CVC issue is out in the open now. BJP President Nitin Gadkari has said that the party will not let the controversy regarding the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner die down. Gadkari seems to have rejected party leader Sushma Swaraj's stand on the issue. Last week, Swaraj had tweeted that the CVC matter be laid to rest after the Prime Minister accepted the responsibility for Thomas' appointment as CVC.
"As far as our party's role in concerned, we will go and appeal to the public and will raise this issue, we will raise a movement with the help of the public to fight against Congress. For the BJP, the CVC issue is not over," he said.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said he accepted the responsibility for the appointment of PJ Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and that he respected the Supreme Court's judgement invalidating Thomas' appointment. "I respect the judgement of the Supreme Court... it is necessary to ensure that such things don't happen again.... this is not a question that relates to coalition compulsions," he had said.
A day earlier, the Supreme Court declared that PJ Thomas' appointment as India's Central Vigilance Commissioner was invalid. Thomas was selected in September by a three-member committee consisting of the PM, the Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj. The court said that the corruption charges pending against Thomas should have ruled him out for a job that requires him to check corruption among government officials and bureaucrats.
Soon after the PM's statement, Swaraj wrote on Twitter, "I appreciate the statement of the PM owning responsibility...I think this is enough, let matters rest at this and we move forward," she tweeted.
But in divergent views, sources in the BJP said they will not stop their attack against the PM, declaring him directly responsible for the morass of Thomas' selection.