After Manmohan Singh, CBI examines KM Birla

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the former prime minister cannot shy away from responsibility as he was the coal minister when the scam took place.

Javadekar, one of those who had first raised allegations regarding the coal scam, however, said it was Congress which should take the blame in the matter as it had made Singh, “a gentleman”, sign all the “bad” deals.”The issue is very simple that he (Singh) was the coal minister when this scam took place. Nobody has charged Singh with corruption, but definitely he was the signatory for all the illegal allocations.All the bad allocations were signed by him and this is what Congress did to him (Singh),” Javadekar said in response to allegations by Congress that the BJP-led government was pursuing a political vendetta against its leaders. “Actually, the vendetta was by Congress against Manmohan Singh,” Javadekar said, adding, “We always think that Singh is a gentleman but the issue is you (Congress) made him sign all the bad deals… So, Congress has actually to apologise to the nation.That is the case and, therefore, the then prime minister cannot shy away from responsibility. I think due process was followed and Congress should take the blame and apologise.”

The Central Bureau of Investigation has examined industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla in connection with the allocation of Talabira-II coal block to his company Hindalco, reported media from India.
The agency has also examined former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the case earlier this week. The CBI’s questioning of Birla, named as an accused in the FIR, came after a special court raised questions over the closure report filed by the agency which has not been accepted. Birla was said to have been examined over his meetings with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was also holding charge of coal portfolio, and the then coal secretary PC Parakh, another accused in the case. When contacted, Birla group declined to comment on the development.

Meanwhile, the agency has also questioned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s principal secretary TKA Nair and private secretary BVR Subramanyam in connection with the case. The action came on the directions of the special court which had expressed its dissatisfaction over the examination of Nair and also directed the agency to record the statement of Singh, then coal minister.