Party stands by our PM, Sonia tells BJP

On her first visit to Karnataka after the party was voted to power in May, Congress president Sonia Gandhi put up a stout defence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and trained her guns on BJP leaders for mocking at him. Mrs Gandhi used her flying visit to this sugar town, the hotbed of Vokkaliga politics, not only to thank voters for supporting the Congress, but also convey a message that the party stands behind Dr Singh and hailed his leadership qualities. Charging the BJP with supporting divisive politics, she said: “I want to tell them (BJP) that the whole party stands behind our Prime Minister. They (BJP) ridicule our achievements; they make fun of our party and our Prime Minister. It was under the leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh that the UPA managed to pass some landmark bills and lift millions of people out of poverty. We are not afraid of the BJP. We are not afraid of any Opposition party. We are not afraid of their attack. We shall continue in our path; we shall continue with our sincere efforts,” in a move intended to control the damage wrought by her son and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the ordinance on convicted politicians. Mrs Gandhi also used the opportunity to deride Opposition parties, in particular the BJP, for disrupting Parliament at a time when crucial legislations were under discussion. “They were in power for six years at the Centre and Karnataka. Why didn’t they pass such laws Why didn’t they lift millions out of poverty Because they don’t care for you; they do not care for the farmers,” she said as the record crowd at the sprawling Sir M. Visvesvaraya stadium roared in approval. Monday’s “thanksgiving” rally, where all state Congress leaders turned up in a show of unity, was an attempt by Mrs Gandhi to strengthen the party’s hold over a district once known as the bastion of Janata Dal (S).