Asserting that she will fight for the passage of the Lokpal bill in parliament, a combative Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at the opposition for "obstructionist" tactics and Team Anna for "deliberate and malicious" criticism of the government.

"We are being criticised and attacked for not tackling the scourge of corruption. This is deliberate and malicious misinformation," Gandhi told the Congress parliamentary party (CPP) meeting without referring to Team Anna or Anna Hazare, who has threatened to go on a fast from Dec 27 over the Lokpal issue.

"I will fight for Lokpal and women's reservation issue", she told reporters close on the heels of telling the parliamentary party, "I cannot see any reason for us to be defeatist".

She said that to tackle the issue of corruption, three bills with major implications are to be passed soon--those relating to the protection of whistle blowers, enhancing judicial accountability, strengthening anti-money laundering operations and controlling bribery of Indian public officials by foreign companies.

"Just yesterday, Government has approved the Lokpal Bill which is also to be introduced and passed," Gandhi said.

Attacking the opposition, especially the BJP-led NDA, Gandhi said, "Let us fight the forces out to destabilise us, forces who have never accepted the verdict of 2004 and never reconciled themselves to the renewed mandate we got in 2009."

She said, "The opposition may be loud but it is opportunistic. Logic and merit are lost in their obstructionist tactics."

Noting that the Congress-led coalition has never refused a debate on the issues the opposition demanded, she wondered, "if the sole objective of the BJP-led NDA is to derail our legislative agenda".

"However, we will not be deterred. Our commitment is to the people of India. We will persevere in moving ahead on our governance and legislative programmes," she said.

On the Food Security Bill, which will be introduced in the current session, she said, "We must make it work because it will protect a huge number of our people from hunger and malnutrition."

The Bill is "very much part of our far-reaching rights based approach to development", she said, adding that she was aware that there are "still some concerns" but this is truly a landmark decision.

Gandhi thanked the prime minister, finance minister and "our colleagues in the government" for helping fulfil a key commitment made in the 2009 manifesto.

She wanted partymen to take the Food Security Bill to the people and "make it a central part of our political campaigns".

Gandhi spoke on several issues including on price rise, declaring that controlling inflation will remain "our over-riding priority".

Seeking to dismiss opposition projections against the backdrop of FDI in retail fiasco that those heading the government and the ruling party were not on the same page on key issues, Gandhi said, "Let me once and for all nail this".

"Every now and then, our political opponents have been trying to create an impression that there are differences between the Congress and the government. Let me once and for all nail this. There may well be differing points of view. But whatever is eventually done is done together," she said.

Virtually launching the poll campaign of the five states including Uttar Pradesh which will have Assembly polls soon, Gandhi said that there is a "definite sentiment in our favour" and if the party continued to campaign with a sense of purpose and above all unity, it could come to power in Uttarakhand and Punjab.

In Uttar Pradesh, she said though the party was facing "considerable odds", there is a "growing support" for it.

"The challenge is to convert that support into votes on the polling day. All of us representing UP must work hard in our respective constituencies to support the efforts being made by our colleagues there," Gandhi said.

In Manipur and Goa, where the party is in power, its achievements in the past five years "give us the confidence of securing a renewed mandate", she said.

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No difference between Congress and govt: Sonia

In a clear political message, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today dismissed any impression that there are differences between the party and the government and the programmes and policies are correct.

However, she did not not make a reference to the controversial decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, which the government had to put on hold following stiff Opposition in Parliament and outside.

"Every now now and then, our political opponents have been trying to create an impression that there are differences between the Congress party and the government. Let me once and for all nail this. There may well be differing points of view. But whatever is eventually done is done together,"[ she said addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

Gandhi said she saw no no reason for the party to be "defeatist" but admitted that what seemed to be lacking was a more effective effort by both the party and the government in communicating and propagating the accomplishments.

A day after the Union Cabinet cleared the Lokpal Bill, she said she would fight for its passage in Parliament.

Gandhi accused the Opposition of being opportunistic and made a veiled attack on the BJP saying it has not not reconciled to the defeat in 2004 and 2009 elections.

"Let us fight the forces out to destabilise us, forces who never accepted the verdict of 2004, and never reconciled themselves to the renewed mandate we got in 2009," she said in her speech to the CPP General Body Meeting, the first in the current session coming to a close next week.

Gandhi said the Opposition may be loud but it is opportunistic. Logic and merit are lost in their obstructionist tactics.

Gandhi said, "Our programmes are productive, our policies are correct. In a democracy, there is always room for some give and take. But our direction is clear and we must move forward."

She said much time of the winter session has been lost because the Opposition not not only persisted with but also intensified its obstructionist tactics.

"We have never refused a debate on any of the issues the Opposition demanded. I wonder if the sole objective of the BJP-led NDA is to derail our legislative agenda. However, we will not not be deterred."

Gandhi referred to the Food Security Bill, cleared by the Union Cabinet, and called it a "truly landmark decision" though she admitted that there are still some concerns about it.

"We must make it work because it will protect a huge number of our people from hunger and malnutrition.......We must take it to the people and make it a central part of our political campaign," she said.

Gandhi also rejected criticism that the Congress and the government were accused of not not tackling the scourge of corruption. "This is deliberate and malicious misinformation."

She referred to three bills--protection of whistleblowers, judicial accountability and strengthening anti-money launder operations, and other measures like citizens charter to be passed soon which, she said, will tackle corruption at the lowest level.

On the debate on the black money issue raised by BJP leader L K Advani, Gandhi said the finance minister forcefully articulated the government's positions and actions.

"He thoroughly exposed the hollowness and duplicity of the charges of the opposition including the conspicuous lack of action all the years the NDA was in power," she said.

Maintaining that there seems to be some relief on the price front, Gandhi said controlling inflation will remain the overriding priority. "We recognise that nothing hurts the aam admi (common man) more than rising food prices."

Referring to the coming assembly elections in five states, she said that in both Uttarakhand and Punjab there is a definite sentiment in favour of Congress and expressed confidence that it would come to power if the party worked with a sense of purpose and, above all, unity.

"In Uttar Pradesh too where we face considerable odds, there is growing support for us--the challenge is to convert the support into votes on polling day.

"All of us representing Uttar Pradesh must work hard in our respective constituencies to support the efforts being made by our colleagues."

She said in Manipur and Goa where the party is ruling the achievements of the past five years gave her the confidence that it would get a renewed mandate.

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Congress hopeful of passing Lokpal Bill

Amid the belligerent mood of the Opposition over the Lokpal issue, the Congress today hoped of a positive outcome and said it was not worried about any threat.

"We must act and think positive. We expect collective wisdom of Parliament will do something," Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters when asked whether Lokpal Bill will be passed in the session given the mood of the Opposition.

He also said that the Congress is not worried over Team Anna's agitation threat. "We are not worried about any challenge," he said in reply to a question whether the proposed agitation will create law and order problems.

On Anna Hazare's comment that Lokpal Bill is nothing but cheating with the people, Dwivedi said, "I do not consider this view deserves my comment."

Asked if there is any difference between party and the government, he said, "Soniaji has completely rejected this criticism in the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting. She said that there may be different points of views so far any issue is concerned. But as far as working is concerned party and the government are working together and marching together with one voice and approach."

Another Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said BJP and other Opposition parties are opposing the Lokpal Bill just for the sake of opposition.

"We know whatever we pass they are bound to oppose," he said, adding, "People are with us and we will pass the bill in Parliament."