New Delhi: Congress on Thursday refused to comment on the Supreme Court's remarks on the continuance of Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas saying it would be inappropriate for the party to respond to the issue in a blow-by-blow manner when the matter is being heard by the SC.
"There is a PIL in the Supreme Court. The SC is hearing the matter on a daily basis. It will be inappropriate for me to respond to it in a blow-by-blow account," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.
Thomas, whose appointment has been questioned by Supreme Court for his alleged involvement in a palmoline export case in Kerala, had met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram recently.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday raised questions on Thomas' ability to supervise the CBI investigations in the 2G case. It would be difficult for Thomas to objectively monitor the investigations, it had said.
Responding to the bench's observation, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium yesterday informed the court, "In accordance with the highest tradition, Thomas has offered to recuse himself from the matter."
The Congress leader, however, found nothing unusual in Thomas recusing himself from the matter saying "you often have situations when judges have recused themselves from some cases" even as there is no provision anywhere for such thing.
"Ultimately this is a personal or institutional issue.This question should be directed to the person or the institution concerned," he said when asked whether it was correct on the part of the CVC to recuse himself from the 2G case.
The former secretary in the Telecom Ministry, which is at the centre of the 2G spectrum storm, was appointed to the CVC's post by a three-member panel headed by Prime Minister but not before Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj gave a dissenting note.
In the midst of reports that he may quit, Thomas yesterday maintained that he was still in the post. "Government has appointed me as CVC. I am continuing as CVC," he told reporters.
"The matter is sub-judice. It is better not to comment.Whatever proceedings is in the court it is unfair for me to comment," Thomas said when asked about the apex court observation about him and whether he was going to quit.
When asked whether he has offered to resign, Thomas said, "I am still continuing as CVC. If there is anything I will let you know"
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