British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has described his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh as a great leader not only of India but of the world.

"It is a great honour for any democratic country in the world to have a leader like Dr Manmohan Singh. He is a great leader not only of India but of the world," Brown was quoted as saying by leading NRI Labour MP Virender Sharma.

Sharma, who was speaking at a function organised by the Indian Overseas Congress here last night to celebrate the victory of Congress Party in the recent general elections in

India, said he had raised the issue in the House of Commons and replying to the discussion Brown had praised Singh.

He said Singh has emerged as one of the three major leaders along with US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the recent G-20 summit in London.

"As an Indian I feel proud of India," he said.

Sharma said that the Indian diaspora in the UK should send a united message to Singh that it was fully behind him so that India could become a major economic power by 2020.

Indian Overseas Congress president Balwant Kapur said Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and youth Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were mainly responsible for the party's good performance in the recent elections.

Former Punjab minister Malkiat Singh and several NRI leaders also spoke at the function and said the mandate was in favour of stability, transparency and good performance.