Sonia comes to PM's defence; praises his leadership qualities

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi defends PM Manmohan Singh and praises him on his leadership qualities.

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh coming under intense attack from the Opposition BJP, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday came to his defence heaping lavish praise on his leadership qualities.

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At a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to celebrate the completion of the UPA Government's fourth year in office, Gandhi devoted considerable time to speak about how well Singh has been leading the coalition government.

"He has given a vision and a direction to the government. I congratulate him and his government on the behalf of all of you on taking the country on the path of social and economic development," she said in her address in Hindi.

In an apparent reference to Singh's low-profile nature, she said the prime minister believes in letting his work speak for him.

"We all know that prime minister is such a person who prefers his work to speak for him. It takes time to realise the special qualities of his leadership. But time proves how effective his leadership is," she said.

Her comments came on a day Opposition BJP called Singh a "lameduck" and "non-performing" prime minister and sought to know from the Congress whether he will be its PM nominee in the next elections.

She described the report card of the performance of the Government as a fully transparent document that anybody can put to test.

"The report card does not have a single wrong claim or any exaggeration. It is a true account of the 48 month-rule of the prime minister and his government," she said.