Bharti says her comeback difficult decision for party

Uma Bharti, who was suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party, has said that if party brings her back into its fold, it would mark the return of the party to its ideological roots.

"The issue behind my suspension was bigger than the reason for the suspension. I feel that the decision on my comeback will indeed be a difficult decision for the party. I have done my bit by writing to party president L.K. Advani and the ball is now in his court," she told reporters here yesterday.

Bharti however refused to admit that she had put any pre-conditions for her return like clipping the wings of leaders who fuelled media reports against her, for instance. But she said that this issue was between her and Advani. "I do not want to say anything on this issue in public," she said.

The former chief minister, who was in Lucknow to address a seminar on making politics more public-oriented, said that she would spend the rest of her life focusing her attention on two issues Ram and Roti [bread].

"Whether I go back to BJP or remain outside it, I will continue to pursue these two issues. The suicides by farmers and weavers in Andhra Pradesh are serious issues that highlight problems like hunger and unemployment. I feel that political parties should rise above politics in dealing with such issues.

Ayodhya

"Similarly, the Ram temple issue concerns majority population and cannot be bound within political parameters," she said.

Bharti blamed the Congress for politicising the Ayodhya issue. It is the Congress that has been indulging in vote bank politics on the issue. The BJP has merely reacted to the situation from time to time, she added.

Bharti blamed Left-minded journalists for giving her the image of a short-tempered politician.

- The Asian Age