Manmohan ‘upset’, Cong rallies to defend him

Read Also: I am sure truth will prevail: Manmohan Singh

“Of course I am upset. But this is part of life,” Singh said. “I have always said I am open for legal scrutiny…I am sure the truth will prevail and I will get a chance to put forward my case with all the facts,” Singh added. The former PM said he respected the judicial process. “I hope in a fair trial I will prove my innocence.” Singh added that he has already made a statement before the CBI and recalled that as PM he had issued a statement “justifying what we did”.

Coming out in defence of Singh, the Congress said the CBI has already concluded that the allotment process of Talavira II and III coal block in Orissa to Hindalco was “completely above board, fair and transparent”. Launching a counter attack on the BJP, the Congress accused it of trying to politicise the ongoing judicial process to divert the  people’s attention from the “black law” on land acquisition.

Congress’s communication department in charge Randip Surjewala said Singh’s “integrity, fairness, impartiality and adherence to transparency is unimpeachable and unquestionable”. Going into the issue of coal block allocation, he said it was Singh as PM in 2005 who initiated steps to change the policy of allocation followed since 1993 and said Singh wanted to switch over to an auction process.

“He called a meeting on July 25, 2005. Unfortunately, since the Mines and Minerals Development Act requires the consent of respective state governments because they are equivalent stakeholders, it was opposed; the conversion from allocation through Steering Committee to auction process was opposed by the BJP governments,” he said.

“Despite this, Singh and the UPA government persuaded all the stakeholders through a broad process of consultation and fructified what is now known as coal block auction process by amending the law,” he said.

Surjewala added that the entire process was fair and transparent.