Sonia Gandhi expresses full backing to PM Manmohan Singh

With opposition levelling allegations of a drift in the government in the wake of scams, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today came out with her full backing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, calling him an "embodiment of sobriety, dignity and integrity".

She dubbed the BJP's personal attack on Singh as "downright despicable".

"I want to say something about our Prime Minister. He is the embodiment of sobriety, dignity and integrity. On your behalf, I want to compliment him for his wise leadership, for remaining calm amidst the storm and for his unwavering devotion to the progress and prosperity of the nation," Gandhi said at the party's Plenary at Burari on the outskirts of Delhi.

"The party stands solidly with him," she asserted at the congregation of about 15,000 delegates, including union ministers and chief ministers of various states.

Praising Singh's leadership, she said the economy has moved to much higher growth path. "His stewardship through the global (economic) crisis is acknowledged universally. It is this high economic growth that has enabled us to fund our social welfare programmes and schemes. It has also enabled our government to transfer unprecedented financial resources to the states."

Her expression of support to Singh comes at a time when the opposition has questioned his leadership in the wake of major scams like second-generation mobile telephony spectrum and Commonwealth Games and whether the Congress was behind him.