New Delhi:
The government has told the Supreme Court that PJ Thomas will not supervise the CBI's inquiry into India's biggest scam.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court questioned how Thomas, as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), would objectively be able to supervise the inquiry into the 2G Scam, which centers on 2G spectrum being undervalued by the Telecom Ministry in 2008. The court stressed that while he was Telecom Secretary, Thomas had justified many of the decisions now under investigation by both the court and the CBI. (
Read: How can Thomas objectively supervise inquiry, asks Supreme Court)
The CBI reports to the Vigilance Commission.
The court's criticism led to speculation that Thomas would resign as CVC. Instead, the government has said that it would welcome the court's supervision of the CBI inquiry, and that Thomas will recuse himself from the inquiry.
"
I am still the CVC," said Thomas today. "The matter is subjudice. It is better not to comment. Whatever proceedings is in the court it is unfair for me to comment." (
Watch)
The 2G scam cost A Raja his job as Telecom Minister. A report by the government's auditor found that Raja gave 2G licenses at throwaway prices to companies that were largely ineligible.
Thomas' appointment as CVC was aggressively opposed by the BJP earlier this year - BJP leader Sushma Swaraj complained to President Pratibha Patil that Thomas was tainted by both the 2G scam and another corruption case in Kerala where edible oil was imported from Malaysia at sky-high rates - a decision that Thomas allegedly sanctioned.
Today, he said about that case, "I was appointed by the Government taking into considerations all these (matters). ...the law will take its own course."
The Opposition, however, is not on board with that, or with Thomas' recusing himself from the 2G inquiry.
"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 for he is. This is a way to bail him out from the present situation and to bail out the government from embarrassment," said the BJP's Venkaiah Naidu.