Summons against ex-PM: JD (U) asks Congress to disclose its position

Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav on Thursday asked the Congress Party to reveal its stand with regard to the summons issued against former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a coal scam case, adding that when an 'honest person' occupies the top post, then his duty includes safeguarding the nation's treasures.

"The court has intervened in this matter. What is the angle of the Congress party, that they will tell? I believe that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. But one thing is for sure that scams have taken place and the coal blocks were allotted when he was the coal minister," Yadav said.

"There is no doubt that the image of Dr. Manmohan Singh is that of an honest man, but when that honest man becomes the prime minister, then his duty includes safeguarding the nation's treasures," he added.

Earlier today, Congress president Sonia Gandhi led a solidarity march to Dr. Singh's 3, Motilal Nehru residence, in the national capital, 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.

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.