Antony vows 'full' support to Manmohan Singh

Former defence minister A K Antony on Thursday vowed to extend his 'full' support to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and said the latter's honesty will be established by the nation's legal process.

"Congress Party is fully behind Dr. Manmohan Singh ji. Today, we came to express our solidarity, we are shocked and sad to hear this news," Antony said.

"All legal force and whatever other means in our command, we will use it. We are absolutely sure that ultimately Manmohan Singh, a man known for his integrity throughout the world, will come out clean. His character and honesty will be established by the legal process. We are fully behind him," Antony added.

The Congress leaders were talking to the media after party chief Sonia Gandhi led a 'solidarity march' to Dr. Singh's residence from the AICC Headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, here.

On Wednesday, a special court in Delhi summoned the former prime minister, former coal secretary P.C. Parakh, industrialist Kumar Manglam Birla and three others in the coal blocks allocation case.

The court summoned them for offences of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act. They have all been asked to appear in court on the April 8.

The case pertains to allocation of Talabira II coal block in Odisha to M/s Hindalco in 2005, when the then prime minister was holding the coal portfolio.