SC verdict on Thomas 'vindicates great national aspiration': Jaitley

New Delhi, Mar 3 (ANI): After the Supreme Court struck down the appointment of former bureaucrat P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, on Thursday said the apex court verdict 'vindicates great national aspiration'.

"The apex court has passed 'serious strictures against the government'," said senior haratiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaitley, and demanded a statement from the government in Parliament on the matter, specifying where the 'mistake' was committed.

Terming the Supreme Court's decision on Thomas as the biggest blow to the Central Government, the BJP had earlier said the decision has completely exposed the government on the issue of corruption.

"This is the biggest blow to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Congress government," BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters here.

"Today, in a historic decision, the CVC appointment by the Union Government has been struck down. This also vindicates the BJP position, more so the position taken by the Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj who had opposed the appointment then on the same ground on which the Supreme Court has struck it down," he added.

Thomas, who is facing a corruption case in a Kerala court, on Thursday handed over his resignation to the government after the Supreme Court struck down his appointment as Central Vigilance Commissioner.

Thomas has sent his resignation to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia delivered its verdict on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought removal of Thomas from the position of CVC.

The apex court, which had on February 10 reserved its judgement on petitions challenging the appointment of Thomas, said the appointment was illegal and that he must go. The apex court further said criminal case should have been considered.

Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj after the Supreme Court judgement said that the dignity of the office of the Central Vigilance Commission has been restored, and welcomed the verdict.

The Centre for Public Interest Litigation, an NGO and others had earlier challenged Thomas's appointment as the CVC, quoting the Palmolein import corruption case in which Thomas is an accused. (ANI)