Uma says will interfere in MP govt affairs

Rehabilitated by the party only recently after her famous outburst before last Diwali, senior BJP leader Uma Bharati today said she would co...

Rehabilitated by the party only recently after her famous outburst before last Diwali, senior BJP leader Uma Bharati today said she would continue to ‘‘interfere’’ in the functioning of the Madhya Pradesh government.

Dismissing media speculation that she was in the race for party presidentship in the event of a leadership change, the fiery sanyasin also came down heavily on former Delhi BJP strongman Madan Lal Khurana for allegedly lying that he had got the clearance of RSS leaders before sending a letter to party chief L.K. Advani, asking him to resign.

‘‘I will never leave MP politics. I have a commitment to the people of the state. I will continue to interfere in the state government’s functioning,’’ Bharati said here.

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However, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister who had to step down in the wake of the flag-hoisting case in a Hubli court last year, clarified that her ‘‘interference would be at the level of the chief minister and not the bureaucracy. I will not act as an extra constitutional authority’’.

‘‘I had nominated Babulal Gaur as the state’s Chief Minister and I am responsible for both the successes and failures of the BJP government in the state,’’ she said. Bharati said she would praise the ‘‘right decisions’’ of the government and ‘‘criticise within closed doors’’ the ‘‘wrongs’’, if any.

Asked about the recent RSS-BJP spat, Bharati, who played a key role in defusing the tension after meeting Sangh chief K.S. Sudarshan in Nagpur, said: ‘‘I was very concerned and worried but now I have heaved a sigh of relief. I feel happy and relaxed.’’

I respect him (Khurana) but his claim that he had the permission of RSS to write that letter (to Advani) is a lie
— Uma Bharati
Senior BJP leader

‘‘I respect him (Khurana) but his claim that he had the permission of the RSS to write that letter is a lie and is baseless. He was the person who left the Union Cabinet after condemning the Sangh. He has been a worst critic of the RSS,’’ said the fiery sanyasin.

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Maintaining that she was only an ‘‘ordinary and small worker’’ of the party, she refuted as ‘‘baseless’’ media speculation that she was in the race for the party presidentship.

She also ruled out reports that she would be given complete charge of Bihar for the polls in view of Arun Jaitley’s indisposition. ‘‘He will join me very soon. We will divide our strategic and campaign work.”

Bharati said the recent RSS-BJP episode will not cast its shadow on Bihar polls as the BJP and JD(U) were natural allies. On her spat with JD(U) chief George Fernandes, she said, ‘‘It is all over.’’ — PTI