Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday said it will seek clarifications in the Rajya Sabha from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his accepting error in appointment of P.J. Thomas as the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) and ask him how he was converting his “responsibility into accountability”.

Thomas’ appointment was struck down by the Supreme Court last week.

BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia told reporters here that the prime minister accepted his responsibility for appointment of Thomas as the CVC after the insistence of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

“In his statement (in the Lok Sabha), the prime minister read a calendar of events relating to appointment of the CVC. The leader of opposition reminded him of his remarks at a press conference in Jammu, after which he said that there had been an error of judgement and he takes responsibility,” Ahluwalia said.

Ahluwalia said it remained to be seen how the prime minister took follow up action on the responsibility he talked about.

“How he converts responsibility into accountability, we have to see,” Ahluwalia said.

He denied that there were differences between party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, who is the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, on the approach to be adopted on the issue of the prime minister’s statement.

“There is no difference of opinion between the leaders of opposition in the two houses,” he said.

He said that clarifications to a statement can only be sought in the Rajya Sabha and not in the Lok Sabha and the party will use the opportunity.

Jaitley launched a scathing attack on the prime minister and sought to know if he was misled or chose to mislead on appointment of Thomas as the CVC.