After the Supreme Court cleared former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the coal block allocation case, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said on Tuesday that his record of integrity and accountability stood in contrast to the way the Narendra Modi-led government has operated. She added that history would remember Singh as a quiet, gentle and highly consequential prime minister.
In an Op-ed published in the Indian Express, Gandhi also said that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “forgiving” students for attacking him, perhaps he should also forgive himself for his remarks against Singh.
Gandhi, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, wrote the Supreme Court ruling brought an end to what she described as one of the most tragic episodes in public discourse, calling the case a “witch hunt” against “a man of the most remarkable probity and integrity”.
“The lobby against him was coordinated and well-organised, with actors stretching from the bureaucracy to the media, the judiciary, civil society, and most certainly to the RSS and BJP. Today, their bogus crusade has come to its inevitable conclusion of nothingness. Dr Singh has been vindicated on every count,” she wrote.
She said 29 July 2026 was an “important but unacknowledged day” in India’s recent political history, referring to the Supreme Court judgment upholding the CBI’s clean chit to Singh in the alleged coal block allocation scams.
“More importantly, it called out the trial court for rejecting the CBI's closure reports and making adverse observations against the former prime minister for no ‘compelling reason’,” Gandhi said.
Sonia Gandhi attacks Modi
Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing his government of applying different standards when dealing with corruption allegations.
“When credible accusations of corruption emerge, the Modi government simply brushes them aside. Corrupt when you're in the Opposition, suddenly clean when you jump ship!” she said.
Gandhi said it was “no coincidence” that Modi had also been among the most vocal critics of Singh.
She referred to Modi’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha on 8 February 2017, when he had said that only Singh knew “the art of bathing with a raincoat on”.
Gandhi described the remark as “the lowest point of our parliamentary history”.
“Introspection, like charity, must begin from home. Ultimately, the attack on Dr Singh was motivated by a desperate desire to shift the public conversation and narrative away from his outstanding governance record,” she said.
‘History will remember him kindly’
Gandhi went on to praise Singh’s record as prime minister, saying his government ushered in major economic changes, including high growth rates and a boom in consumption and private investment that helped India move towards becoming a middle-income economy.
She also said India remained resilient during the 2008 global financial crisis under Singh’s leadership.
As examples of Singh’s governance and legacy, Gandhi cited the Forest Rights Act, the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). She also highlighted his regular engagement with the media and Parliament as evidence of his commitment to accountability.
Singh died on 27 December 2024. Following the Supreme Court ruling in the high-profile case, Gandhi concluded her tribute by saying, “History will indeed remember him kindly as a quiet, gentle but a most consequential Prime Minister.”
