ABHISHEK MANU SINGHVI DEFENDS SINGH’S EXAMINATION

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that it was useless to politicize the examination of the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by the Central Bureau of Investigating (CBI) about his role on the coal block allocation case relating to Hindalco. The reputed lawyer said that the process was purely legal.

Talking to the reporters, Singhvi said that it is completely senseless and unnecessary to politicize the examination as it is a legal operation. He praised the former Prime Minister as he responded to the questions like a responsible civilian.

Earlier that same day, the BJP claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation was facing heavy pressure for not examining former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about his role in the matter during UPA lease. According to sources, the CBI questioned and examined the former Prime Minister over his part in the coal block sharing case concerning Hindalco.

The bureau is yet to release an official confirmation about the matter even as the office of Manmohan Singh denied receiving any such subpoena. One media revealed that the officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation questioned the former Prime Minister two days ago at his home. The case referred to the distribution of a Talabira II block to Hindalco at the time when Manmohan Singh was running the portfolio of the Coal Ministry. The CBI must fill a status report related to the case in front of a special court by January 27.

According to an NDTV report, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress spokesperson and lawyer, told ANI that he appreciated the way the former Prime Minister answered the questions of the CBI like somebody who is willing to cooperate fully and like a responsible citizen. Singhvi emphasized that Manmohan Singh responded to the questions without obstruction and delay.

However, PTI reported that both CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad and Singh’s office denied or refused to confirm that such questioning took place. PTI sources revealed that the CBI questioned the former Prime Minister over two letters dated 7 May, 2005 and 17 June of the same year. These letters were sent to the former Prime Minister by industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla. He was requesting apportionment of Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco. Then, the PMO approved such allocation to Hindalco that was denied earlier the coal field. In 2013, Manmohan Singh defended the decision in a statement.

On 16 December last year, a Delhi court issued orders to the Central Bureau of Investigation to examine the former Prime Minister. The CBI sent a request to the court for closing the case against Hindalco. However, the court rejected the request and instructed the investigating bureau to interrogate Singh. The court hearing the case was concerned about the letters sent by Kumar Mangalam Birla to the former Prime Minister and the approval letter to the allocation. According to some observations, these letters direct the attention towards favoritism and abuse of power. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the former Prime Minister shows his desire to cooperate with the investigating agency as a dutiful citizen.