New Delhi, 11 August (H.S.):

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday stepped up his attack over the allegations against former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh after the Supreme Court granted him relief in the coal block allocation case, describing the campaign against the former Prime Minister as a politically motivated attempt to tarnish his reputation.

Kharge said the campaign had now reached an “inevitable conclusion” and that Singh had emerged unscathed from the allegations levelled against him. He also contrasted Singh’s record of integrity and accountability with the functioning of the present Narendra Modi government.

Kharge made the remarks in a post on social media while sharing an article written by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi about Singh that was published in an English-language newspaper.

The Congress president alleged that the campaign against Singh had been systematic and organised, involving sections of the bureaucracy, media, judiciary and civil society, along with individuals associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Kharge further alleged that investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, which were established to investigate financial crimes and corruption, had been used by the government to exert pressure on political opponents.

He also alleged that political leaders who faced corruption allegations while in the Opposition were sometimes treated as “cleared of wrongdoing” after joining the BJP and, in certain cases, were even given ministerial positions.

Kharge also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having participated in political attacks against Singh. He referred to Modi’s 2017 Rajya Sabha remark in which the former prime minister was subjected to the controversial “raincoat” jibe and criticised the comment.

Kharge said that at a time when the Prime Minister was speaking about forgiving students involved in protests against him, Modi should also reflect on and apologise for remarks he had made against Singh.

The Congress president said history would remember Singh as a calm, dignified and highly influential prime minister. He added that, with the passage of time, Singh’s work and legacy would be assessed more clearly on the basis of his record rather than the political allegations made against him during his tenure.

The Supreme Court on July 29 brought an end to criminal proceedings against Singh in the coal block allocation case and quashed the order summoning him. The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan accepted the CBI’s closure report, which had cleared Singh and the other accused in the case.

Singh died on December 27, 2024. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the Congress demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the allegations and political attacks directed at the former prime minister.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar