By IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress Monday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in parliament owning responsibility for the appointment of P.J. Thomas as chief vigilance commissioner (CVC) reflected his “magnanimity” and wondered if opposition leaders had ever done the same for their lapses.
“It reflects the magnanimity and conduct of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance), the government and the prime minister to have accepted responsibility,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.
He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had accepted responsibility to show respect to the Supreme Court’s decision last week overturning Thomas’ appointment.
“In how many such cases have the opposition leaders done the same? The answer would be zero,” he said.
“There was a bonafide error for which the Supreme Court took a decision. It was accepted with respect,” Singhvi said.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, the prime minister said Monday he respected the Supreme Court’s decision on Thomas.
Manmohan Singh in his brief written statement initially didn’t use the phrase “full responsibility” on the appointment but was prodded to do so after the opposition MPs, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj, raised a clamour.
The prime minster said that there had been an error of judgment and he accepted full responsibility for it
Thomas was last September appointed as CVC though a graft case was pending against him related to palm oil import from Malaysia.