Sonia Gandhi Hails Manmohan Singh's Vindication in Coal Case

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi published editorials and an Op-ed praising the legacy of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh following a July 29, 2026, Supreme Court ruling. The court upheld a Central Bureau of Investigation clean chit for Singh in the coal block allocation case, setting aside a 2015 trial court order and criticizing that court for making adverse observations without compelling reason.

Gandhi described the legal proceedings as a "political witch-hunt" and a "bogus crusade" that reached a "conclusion of nothingness." She asserted that Singh, who passed away in December 2024, has been vindicated on every count. Gandhi highlighted Singh's contributions, including the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, the Right to Education Act, and the National Food Security Act, claiming his tenure saw higher economic growth than the subsequent 12 years.

In her writings, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to pressure political opponents. She specifically cited Modi's 2017 Rajya Sabha remark that Singh knew "the art of bathing with a raincoat on" as a low point in parliamentary history and demanded an apology for what she termed "undignified slander."