Karaikudi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on Monday showered praise on Home Minister P Chidambaram, who is
in the line of opposition fire, saying he derived "immense"
support from his "enlightened leadership".
"Since 2004, I have been deriving immense support from his
enlightened leadership as Finance Minister and then as Home
Minister. Whatever task is given to him, he performs with
super aplomb," Singh said at a function here in Chidambaram's
Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency.
Singh's remarks came against the backdrop of Chidambaram
coming under opposition attack over his alleged role in 2G
spectrum allocation scam and the charge of misuse of office in
helping a Delhi-based hotelier.
"He and I have been colleagues since 1990s and worked hand
in hand. I worked as Finance Minister when he worked as
Commerce Minister then," the Prime Minister said, referring to
Chidambaram who was seated among the audience at a function in
the Alagappa University.
Gunning for his resignation, BJP has been boycotting
Chidambaram in Parliament heckling him whenever he rises to
speak, with the party using his alleged misuse of office in
helping a Delhi-based hotelier as a fresh ammunition against
him.
The UPA Government and the Congress have rallied behind
Chidambaram, rejecting the opposition charges and calls for
his resignation.
With his engagements in Karaikudi, Singh wrapped up his
two-day visit to Tamil Nadu over which the Mullaperiyar dam
row between the state and Kerala cast its shadow.
PTI
First Published: Monday, December 26, 2011, 17:04