Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) PJ Thomas, facing political heat over demand for his resignation, today hit back and claimed he was “morally clear”. He also observed that the stand of the Kerala government on levelling of criminal charges against him was “funny.”
Thomas was named in the chargesheet in palmolein import case in 1991 in Kerala, but investigating agencies of the state have so far not been able to frame charges against Thomas, then the food secretary in the state government.
“It is a very old case. I am not even aware of the present status of the case. The Kerala government has very funny stand on it. The council of ministers in Kerala had taken a decision to import palmolein and since I was the food secretary at that time, I only implemented the decision that was already taken. It is funny to level criminal conspiracy charges against me. The chief minister headed the meeting of the council of minister. Where is the criminal conspiracy? I was food secretary and I also sat in the meetings,” he said Thomas.
“I am morally clear and my conscience is very clear. I am continuing as the CVC. There are speculations that I will resign, but I don’t answer to speculations. The 2G spectrum allocation happened in 2007 and 2008, when I was not even the telecom secretary. I am an impartial man and I take decisions according to law on all the matters that come to me,” Thomas added when asked if he had offered to resign from his post.