Sonia backs PM: ‘his leadership behind all our achievements’

She was speaking at a rally in Mandya to thank the Karnataka electorate for voting for the Congress in the Assembly polls.

A day after Narendra Modi accused the Congress of undermining the Prime Minister on the issue of an ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers,Sonia Gandhi came out in full support of Manmohan Singh Monday emphasising that the whole party stands behind our Prime Minister.

She was speaking at a rally in Mandya to thank the Karnataka electorate for voting for the Congress in the Assembly polls and recent Lok Sabha bypolls.

The Congress president said: They ridicule us,they ridicule our Prime Minister and they ridicule the whole party. The party stands behind our Prime Minister. All our achievements have been under his leadership.

The Congress party stands by certain principles of social justice,inclusivity and equal respect for all communities. The BJP divides people. We are not afraid of the BJP,we are not afraid of any opposition. We will continue on our path. We will continue with our sincerest effort to work for the people of Karnataka and for the people of India, she said.

Sonia asked the Congress and the government to work together to fulfill the promises the party has made. She was on her first visit to Karnataka since the Congress swept to power in the state in May and won two Parliament seats,including Mandya,in the Vokkaliga heartland,considered a bastion of the JDS of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda until recently,in bypolls held in August. Sonia said the UPA government under Manmohan Singh was working hard at programmes for the people,similar to what the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka was trying to do.

She underlined the passing of the National Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Law in Parliament as the recent achievements under the leadership of Manmohan.

The BJP tried to prevent the Food Security Bill by spreading rumours that the Bill is against the interests of farmers. The farmers are central to our policies, Sonia said.

Story continues below this ad

No other government has achieved as much as the UPA. No other government has lifted millions out of poverty. No other government has passed such historic Bills for employment guarantee,right to information,food security and protection of women, she said.

Sonia said the opposition did not care for the poor and tried to thwart passing of the said legislations.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed the Congress would win 20-25 of the 28 Parliament seats in Karnataka in the 2014 polls.