Coal scam: Moily cries foul over court summoning ex-PM, says 'political system in jeopardy'

Senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily on Thursday said former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was known for his integrity and character, and added that if an innocent person can be hauled up in a criminal case for no offence at all, then the entire political system will be in jeopardy.

"He is known for his integrity and character. We are here to express the total solidarity of the party and his leadership. This is a very ridiculous situation. This country is known for its rule of law and also for its independent judiciary, but by issuing a summons to him, the rule of law itself has become the suspect," said Moily.

"This can happen only in a country where anybody can be lined up and cases can be filed against anybody. That kind of situation can only take place in this country. In this country, if any innocent officer can be hauled up in a criminal case for no offence at all, the entire political system will be in jeopardy," he added.

Earlier, Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi led a solidarity march to Dr. Singh's 3, Motilal Nehru residence today, and said that the party was outraged on hearing the news of the summons being served by a court on the former prime minister.

"Dr. Manmohan Singhji is our former prime minister. He is known not only in our country, but throughout the world as being a person of integrity and probity. The Congress Party is fully behind him," she said.

Several senior Congress veterans also participated in the solidarity march that began from the AICC headquarters at 24, Akbar Road here.

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

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

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