New CVC had no role in spectrum scandal, insists government

Responding to BJP charges that the appointment of P J Thomas as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) was "a deliberate attempt to cover up the 2G spectrum scandal", the government today said he was not in any way involved the 2G spectrum scam and there was no blemish on him.

According to The Economic Times, highly-placed sources said that the government does not agree with the contention of BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj that her choice among the three candidates should have been accepted by the government in selecting the new CVC.

Swaraj, who was a member of the three-member committee along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram to select the CVC, is said to have agreed with the government's logic that Thomas was cleared in the inquiries before actual appointment and there was no question of any blemish on him.

The government had told her that Thomas came into the telecom ministry much after the alleged 2G scam had taken place and he had no role in it. However, Swaraj is believed to have maintained that stain remains on the former telecom secretary.

Referring to the reported note written by the department of telecommunications to the ministry's legal adviser seeking an opinion on whether the CAG had the authority to challenge a policy decision taken by the government, the sources said the secretary cannot be blamed if the minister asks him to write such a letter.

On Tuesday, President Pratibha Patil had administered the oath of office to the former telecom secretary as the 14th Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) at a function held in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.