The Centre has strongly defended the appointment of P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner. In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court yesterday, the government also said there is no need for consensus among three members of the high powered committee on CVC's appointment. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram had approved his appointment, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who was the third member of the panel, opposed the same saying a corruption case is pending against Thomas in a Kerala court. The affidavit said no statutory norms were violated in the appointment of Thomas and his suitability for the post should not be decided by the apex court.