I did not mislead CVC selection panel: Chidambaram

Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday accused Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj of making thoughtless allegations and "tying herself in knots" by levelling the charge that he had misled the panel which selected P.J. Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner.

Taking exception to Ms. Swaraj's charge that he misled the committee by informing it that Mr. Thomas had been acquitted in the Palmolein case, the Minister asserted that he did not say so.

I take exception to the statement by Sushma Swaraj... that I had 'misled the selection committee' and told the committee that Thomas had been 'acquitted'," Mr. Chidambaram said in a statement in New Delhi.

Ms. Swaraj said Mr. Chidambaram had told the committee that Mr. Thomas had been acquitted in the case. Following this, she had asked whether he was eligible even if he was acquitted in the case on the ground that the CVC must be an outstanding officer with impeccable integrity. "The entire debate was based on this," she said.

Countering the BJP leader, the Home Minister said she was "tying herself in knots" by making "thoughtless allegations".

Firstly, if no sanction for prosecution had been granted since 1999 against P.J. Thomas (as admitted by her) how could the case have proceeded to trial or ended in an acquittal of Thomas? Secondly, if the Supreme Court had stayed the trial of the case (as admitted by her), is it not self-evident that the case was pending and nobody could have been either acquitted or convicted," he asked.

The Home Minister said, "I reiterate that the committee was aware of the Palmolein case; that no sanction for prosecution of Thomas had been granted since 1999; that the case was pending in the trial court; that the Supreme Court had stayed the trial of the case; and that the then CVC had granted vigilance clearance in respect of Thomas."

He requested Ms. Swaraj to respect the rule of sub judice and allow the Supreme Court to decide the case.

With Mr. Chidambaram earlier stating that the Palmolein case against Mr. Thomas was discussed by the panel, Ms. Swaraj had on Tuesday said she would not file an affidavit on the issue in the Supreme Court as there was "no dispute on facts now".

Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati had stated in the Supreme Court last week that the charge sheet against Mr. Thomas had not been placed before the panel comprising the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

This had prompted Ms. Swaraj to say that she will file an affidavit in the matter as the government was "misleading" the Supreme Court


News From: http://www.7StarNews.com