PM hasn't passed the buck to anybody: Congress

The Congress today dismissed suggestions that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has passed the buck for the fiasco involving appointment of P J Thomas as CVC.

"The Prime Minister has squarely...very honourably taken responsibility saying I am accountable. He has not passed the buck to anybody....It is a completely erroneous reading of the situation," party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters.

Noting that the issue was over with the Prime Minister''s statement, he said the Supreme Court has passed no stricture on the High Powered Committee headed by Singh or any of its members.

Besides, there is a distinction between bonafide and malafide error, he said.
In his statement in Rajya Sabha yesterday, the Prime Minister virtually blamed former MoS (Personnel) Prithviraj Chavan, saying the note forwarded by him for the selection committee did not have information about corruption case against Thomas.

Singh had said that he was not aware of a charge sheet against Thomas till the meeting of selection committee on September 3 last year and that he gave his approval as he believed vigilance clearance would have been obtained as Thomas had earlier served as Kerala Chief Secretary and Secretary in the Central government.