New Delhi, 11 August (H.S.): Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has described the allegations levelled against former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his tenure as politically motivated, asserting that history will ultimately remember him with respect.

In an article published in an English-language newspaper on Tuesday, Gandhi highlighted Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister, his economic policies, social welfare initiatives and contribution to strengthening democratic institutions. She said that despite allegations against him and attempts to tarnish his reputation, his record in office spoke for itself.

Gandhi said Singh played an important role not only in India’s economic transformation but also in the social sector. Several decisions taken during his tenure, she noted, had a lasting impact on the country. She also compared Singh with leaders whose legacies are assessed over time on the basis of their work rather than the political controversies surrounding them while they were in office.

Gandhi referred in her article to developments on July 29, 2026, when the Supreme Court questioned the government’s position regarding remarks connected with former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma and a case related to the coal allocation controversy. She said the court’s observations evoked memories of the period when the Manmohan Singh government faced allegations of corruption and Singh himself came under political attack despite his reputation for personal integrity.

Gandhi said Singh’s economic policies should also be assessed in the context of the situation prevailing before he became Prime Minister. When Singh assumed office in 2004, the Indian economy was already expanding rapidly following the economic reforms undertaken in the preceding years.

She also highlighted Singh’s personal style of functioning, describing him as a calm, scholarly and principled leader. According to Gandhi, despite political criticism and allegations, Singh remained focused on carrying out his responsibilities.

The Congress leader highlighted several major schemes and policy initiatives introduced during Singh’s tenure, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Right to Information Act, the National Food Security Act and the Right to Education Act.

Gandhi said these measures sought to provide ordinary citizens with greater rights and social protection while strengthening their participation in the democratic process.

She described the Right to Information as one of the significant achievements of the Singh government, saying it enhanced transparency in governance and empowered citizens to seek accountability from the government. She noted that MGNREGA provided rural households with a legal guarantee of employment, while the food security legislation represented a major step towards ensuring access to food for poor and vulnerable families.

Gandhi also referred to initiatives concerning education and social justice. She said granting education the status of a legal right and advancing welfare programmes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minorities formed an important part of the government’s social policy agenda.

On democratic institutions and civil liberties, Gandhi said Singh’s tenure was significant because Parliament, the media and civil society had considerable space to question the government and debate its policies.

She argued that Singh’s legacy should not be judged through the political allegations and controversies of the time, but through his decisions, economic policies and work in the social sector. With the passage of time, she said, the contribution of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister would become increasingly clear.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar