Reacting to the summons, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was upset but hoped he would be able to establish his complete innocence. “Of course, I am upset but this is part of life,” he told the media when asked for his reaction on the court order.
“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 said. He said he respected the judicial process in the country and “I hope in a fair trial I will prove my innocence,” he said.
Singh, who was also the Coal Minister in 2005 when the Government allocated Talabira-II coal block in Odisha in 2005 to Hindalco, said he had made a statement before the CBI and as Prime Minister he had issued a statement “justifying what we did”.
Asked whether he would contest the case, he said he would discuss the issue with his legal team. While the Congress defended Singh, the BJP termed the court directive a vindication of its stand. Throwing its weight behind Singh, Congress charged the BJP with making cheap political capital out of it to divert people’s attention from the “black law” on land acquisition.
“Manmohan Singh’s integrity, fairness, impartiality and adherence to transparency is unquestionable,” AICC Communication department in-charge Randeep Surjewala said. Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said that he was saddened by the summons and added that a man who always wanted to be on the right side of the law, has found himself in such a spot.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar termed the development as the vindication of the BJP’s stand. And the BJP said that the fact that there was a scam cannot be ignored. “If the court has summoned him, it’s a legal step. They can argue it in the court. Cannot ignore the fact that there was a scam, and that has been proven by the coal block auctions recently,” BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said. Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said that law will do its work now.
For his part, ex-Coal Secretary PC Parakh said he had to read the full order and it will not be appropriate for him to make any comment. “Now that summons have come it is inappropriate for me to say anything as it amounts to contempt of court. I can’t make any comments. No, absolutely nothing to be said,” Parkah said.