New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in Lok
Sabha, Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday termed as an "after thought" Home
Minister P Chidambaram`s claim that he had not misled the CVC
selection panel and his contention that the BJP leader was
making "thoughtless allegations".
"I have seen that (Chidambaram`s) statement. I have to
only say that if he knew the case was pending it was the
primary duty of the government to apprise the selection
committee of that. They did not do that," she told reporters.
"All that he is saying are after thought... These facts
are absolutely irrelevant," she added.
Earlier in the day, Chidambaram had refuted Swaraj`s
charges that he had misled the CVC selection panel about the
Palmolein case pending against PJ Thomas.
"I take exception to the statement by Sushma Swaraj...
that I had `misled the selection committee` and told the
committee that Thomas had been `acquitted`," Chidambaram said
in a statement.
He said Swaraj is "tying herself in knots" by making
"thoughtless allegations".
However, Swaraj stood her ground despite Chidambaram`s
claims.
"The first thing which he committed was that he concealed
this information from the selection committee. It was me who
brought this to the committee that there was a case and then
he (Chidambaram) said he (PJ Thomas) was acquitted," Swaraj
said.
PTI
