Govt to make 'suitable' statement in Parliament on CVC issue

The government will make a "suitable" statement on the Supreme Court quashing the appointment of PJ Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner.

"Government will next week make a suitable statement", minister of state for parliamentary affairs Ashwani Kumar said in the Rajya Sabha after senior BJP member M Venkaiah Naidu raised the issue.

Naidu, joined by his party colleagues, wanted to know when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be making a statement on the "shocking" development.

The opposition was agitated over Kumar's earlier remarks that government would make a statement "if necessary".

"What is meant by 'if necessary'? It was a shocking development," Naidu said asserting that the government has to make a statement.

In a setback to the government, the Supreme Court struck down the appointment of Thomas as CVC on the ground that he was facing charges in a corruption case relating to import of palmolein in Kerala.