Coal scam: Cannot understand FIR against Birla, says Digvijaya

Congress leader Digivijaya Singh has come out in the defence of businessman Kumar Mangalam Birla being named in the Coal scam and said that Congress leaders should be careful about giving out a wrong impression of a “witch hunting” in this case. In an interview to Economic Times Singh said, “If anyone has violated the law, he must be punished. But it should be done after careful examination and due diligence before filing of FIR. It is not so in this case.” [caption id=“attachment_1257761” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Digvijaya Singh. AFP[/caption] The CBI had registered an FIR against Birla and former Coal Secretary P C Parakh in connection with allocation of Talabira II and III coal block to Hindalco in joint venture with PSUs. “The Birlas, particularly Kumar Mangalam Birla, has been the most clean corporate leader who has never known to be a fly-by-night operator. The Birla family has been one of the pioneers of India’s manufacturing sector. A FIR against his company for a coal block allocation, which has been done after due diligence by a coal secretary who has been known for his integrity, I cannot understand,” Singh told Economic Times. The CBI had claimed the only material change that took place between rejection of Hindalco’s application during 25th screening committee meeting and allotment were two letters routed to Parakh through the PMO and his personal meeting with Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group. Like Singh, India Inc too had comeout in support of Birla when the FIR was filed. “Yes we should be careful in this witch hunting that the corporate sector has suddenly been facing. It is not good,” Singh told Economic Times. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has been under opposition attack over the allocation to Hindalco, has defended the decision as “entirely appropriate” and based on merits of the case presented to him. Read the full interview here. With agency inputs