BJP accepts Bharti's resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday accepted the resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti. The party is, however, all set to project her as the "Indian woman, who sacrficed her chair for the sake of tri-colour." The BJP plans to utilise Bharati issue to highligjht its "cultural nationalism and patriotism," sources said.

Planning to play the "martyr's" role to the hilt, Bharti, who plans to embark on her "tiranga-yatra" (tri-colour tour) from Hubli today also intends to surrender before the Hubli court, which issued a non-bailable warrant against her in a decade-old rioting case. Bharti's attempt to hoist the national flag at Idgah in Hubli in 1994 had reportedly triggered off violence, in which five people were killed in police firing.

Incidentally Bharti's resignation was accepted after she failed to earn a reprive from the Hubli court yesterday, when her petition seeking quashing of charges against her was rejected. However, BJP accused Congress chief Sonia Gandhi "masterminding" the revival of the case against Bharti by the Karntaka government.

Reacting to reports that a Karnataka police team was on its way to Bhopal to arrest Bharti, BJP in-charge of the state Arun Jaitley said, "If the Karnataka police team does not reach here, Bharti will catch a train to hubli this evening to surrender".

For the saffron strategists, Bharti's proposed tour and court arrest would whip up a massive "support against the anti-national Congress." To give the proposed march a nationalistic touch, Bharti intends to start her tour after paying tribute at the statue of Rani Chinmani of Chittoor in Hubli, where she would hoist the tri-colour.

Giving a signal that Bharti's resignation and arrest would also be a move to consolidate its hardcore Hindutva vote bank, the BJP chief M. Venkaiah Naidu equated this to the Shah Bano case, during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure. "Congress' attitude in the matter is similar to the one adopted by then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi in the Shah Bano case," Naidu said. For Bharti, her tour would be the "final nail in Congress coffin."

The entire BJP brass rallied behind Bharti and her move to take on Sonia became evident, with the former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee coming out in her support. Vajpayee blamed the Congress-led government for the stalemate in Parliament on the Bharti issue. Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani, hailed Bharti for "setting an example by not only resigning but also making arrangements for election of a new leader in her place."

APPOINTMENT

Gaur is new chief minister

Bhopal
Babulal Gaur was yesterday sworn in as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Gaur was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Balram Jakhar at a function at the Raj Bhawan in Bhopal.

He has the backing of outgoing chief minister Uma Bharti and her supporters in the Bharatiya Janata Party's Madhya Pradesh unit.

Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh, meanwhile, briefed Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil over the situation arising out of the non-bailable warrants having been issued against Bharti.
Dharam Singh will also be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today.

© The Asian Age