New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): US President Barack Obama met a Congress delegation Monday afternoon after witnessing the 66th Republic Day parade, said a party leader.

A four-member Congress delegation, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, party president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi, and former union minister Anand Sharma called on the visiting US president at the ITC Maurya hotel where he is staying, the party source said.

"We got a request directly from the Obama administration that expressed interest in meeting with Manmohan Singh," the source, close to the former prime minister, told IANS.

The meeting, understood to be a courtesy call, started at 3.05 p.m. and lasted for half an hour before Obama proceeded to attend 'At Home' hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan, which Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh also attended.

The details of the meeting could not obtained.

Manmohan Singh was prime minister when President Obama visited India for the first time in November 2010.

Obama is known for holding Manmohan Singh in high regard and once referred to him as a "good friend".