Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said he accepted responsibility after the Supreme Court struck down his choice of a tainted civil servant as the country's chief anti-graft official. Singh's statement to reporters was another huge personal setback for the 78-year-old leader but it was not enough to satisfy an increasingly assertive opposition demanding he explain himself to parliament.
The controversy comes as Singh is trying to defend himself against a series of graft scandals, including a $39 billion telecoms licensing scam, that has called into question his ability to govern effectively Asia's third-largest economy. "I have already said I respect the judgement of the Supreme Court," Singh told a televised press conference during a trip to Jammu. "I accept my responsibility... I admit that such things should not occur again," he said.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming to ride a wave of popular anger over the corruption scandals, seized on the verdict, demanding Singh accept responsibility since he was the head of the panel that chose P.J. Thomas as Chief Vigilance Commissioner. The Supreme Court said the appointment of Thomas was made last year without taking into account a 1992 case in which he, as a state official, had been accused of signing a deal to import palm oil from Malaysia at inflated prices.
The BJP has urged Singh to explain his decision to parliament, which has only just started functioning properly again after months of opposition protests that stalled key reform bills. More parliamentary paralysis would hold up bills such as to liberalise investment in the banking sector, enact wide-ranging tax reforms and ease land acquisition for industry.