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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if he was aware of the cases against P J Thomas before the collegium appointed him as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
The BJP sought to know from the government why documents related to the charge-sheet in the Palmolein case in Kerala and those related to Thomas' efforts at 'covering up' the 2G spectrum allocation were not brought to the notice of the appointing collegium comprising the PM, home minister and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
"The BJP believes that this dubious track record of the CVC was a relevant consideration as to why he should not be appointed. The absence of the relevant material before the appointing collegium renders his appointment as a nullity," Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia said.
He further asked whether the prime minister was aware of these charges against Thomas, saying, "Was the prime minister kept in the dark? Were these documents shown to him?"
In reply to a question on whether the JPC, if constituted to probe the 2G spectrum allocation scam, would also summon the prime minister, Ahluwalia said, "We do not want to pre-judge this issue. The JPC will call whom it feels should be called and not call the ones it thinks should not be called."
The senior BJP leader maintained that for a JPC, unlike the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, "all classified files become declassified" and it can also access the file notings.
Reiterating its demand for the removal of Thomas, who was the telecom secretary when the 2G spectrum allocations were made, BJP insisted that a person with a pending criminal prosecution is "completely unfit for this job".
"Now even the United Progressive Alliance allies are in favour of a JPC. (Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam leader) T R Baalu has said so and (Trinamool Congress leader) Mamata Banerjee and (Nationalist Congress Party leader) Sharad Pawar are also saying the same thing," Ahluwalia said.
The BJP accused Thomas of seeking and obtaining an opinion from the law ministry that both the CAG and the CVC did not have the power to question government policy, even when it is related to fraudulent allocation of the 2G spectrum, 'which caused a huge loss to the government of India".
The principal opposition party also asked why the CVC was holding secret meetings with important government functionaries.
"It is time both the government and the CVC acted in a statesman-like manner. They must seriously consider the CVC relinquishing his charge in the interest of strengthening the institution where he occupies office," Ahluwalia said.