Sonia, Rahul reach out to PM; Digvijaya tweets support

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi have reassured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the party's support for him and the government -- in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's criticism of a Union Cabinet ordinance that allows Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly to attend Parliament and state assemblies despite having criminal cases against them.

Media reports said that Sonia called Dr Singh in Washington to reassure him of the Congress Party's support and to assuage any hurt that he may have felt in the wake of Rahul terming the ordinance wrong and rubbish.

On his part, Gandhi e-mailed a letter to the prime minister, in which he emphasised his respect for Dr Singh and his leadership, but at the same time maintained that the ordinance was wrong in letter and spirit.

The Congress Party released the letter in the public domain, suggesting that it was in damage control mode to reduce the apparent humiliation caused to Dr Singh by Rahul Gandhi's very public criticism of the government, in full media glare in New Delhi on Friday.

Statements released on Dr Singh's behalf from Washington indicate that the Congress Party's attempts at assuaging the prime minister are succeeding.

Dr Singh has acknowledged receiving a letter from Rahul Gandhi and promised that his Cabinet will consider Gandhi's views on the ordinance when he returns home early next week.

Congress also hailed Dr Singh for convincing the United States on the issue of terror.

"Compliment the prime minister for convincing US and others that LeT is a global terror threat. I hope Pakistan will take a note of that and act decisively," Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh commented on micro-blogging site twitter.

His comments came after US President Barack Obama promised to take up with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif the issue of continued Pakistan-based terror directed against India.

The Congress general secretary also welcomed Rahul's attack on the ordinance, saying it has "punctured the BJP's double speak".

"Rahul punctured the balloon of BJP's double speak. It (BJP) had agreed to the amendment in an all-party meeting," the Congress leader tweeted.