Obama's speech to par reflects India's uniqueness, says PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has struck a personal chemistry with President Barack Obama, tonight said the US leader's speech in Parliament reflected the uniqueness of India as a functioning democracy.

"His speech to our Parliament, his idea of India that he talked about in his speeches, is a reflection of the uniqueness of India as a functioning democracy, committed to the rule of law, committed to respect for fundamental human freedoms and yet managing to grow at a respectable rate," Singh told reporters on his way back from G-20 summit in Seoul.

He was responding to a question about how he would describe his sharing a close relationship with former President George W Bush as also President Obama.

"Well I have answered that question several times before. I think President Bush, when the first time I met him, he introduced me to his wife and said, 'Laura, do you know of any other country of 1.2 billion people committed to democracy, committed to respect for fundamental human freedom, committed to the rule of law and yet doing well in terms of the development agenda.'"

He said it was India's attractiveness with all its complexities of caste, of religion, that it remains a functioning democracy and managing to grow at 8-9% growth rate.

"So it is really a tribute to India that attracted George Bush and same thing I find in President Obama.," Singh said.