Indian PM accepts 'error' for tainted appointment

NEW DELHI: India's prime minister on Monday accepted responsibility after the Supreme Court struck down his choice of a tainted civil servant to serve as the country's chief anti-corruption officer.

Manmohan Singh's statement to lawmakers marked another setback for the 78-year-old leader, whose Congress-led government is reeling over a series of graft scandals, including a multi-billion-dollar telecoms licensing scam.

Addressing the lower house of parliament, Singh admitted his "error of judgement" and said he respected the Supreme Court's decision to cancel the appointment of Central Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas.

Singh appointed Thomas in September, although the official had been charged in 2000 over his role in allegedly fraudulent imports of palm oil from Malaysia while he worked as a civil servant in the Kerala state government in the 1990s.

The 60-year-old civil servant has never been prosecuted in the palm oil case and has always maintained his innocence, blaming the accusations on political rivalry in Kerala.

But with lawmakers clamouring for an explanation, Singh said: "Obviously there has been an error of judgement and I accept full responsibility."

The Central Vigilance Commission is India's leading anti-corruption watchdog.

The latest development comes as the government has been battling corruption scandals for the past six months that have caused concern among voters and troubled foreign investors.

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, India's main opposition group, has called the Supreme Court ruling "the biggest blow to Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi", who is president of the ruling Congress party.

Media and opposition criticism of Singh, once seen as the "Mr Clean" of India's notoriously dirty politics, has been so intense that he was forced to deny rumours that he might resign last month.