The Hindu : National : BJP politicising Uma Bharti issue: Congress

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Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

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BJP politicising Uma Bharti issue: Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 31. The Congress today refuted charges that the Karnataka Government had gone back on the Uma Bharti case and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of politicising it in view of the Assembly election in Maharashtra.

The party asserted that the Karnataka Chief Minister, Dharam Singh, had made it clear that the Karnataka Government did not re-open the case against the BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms. Bharti.

"The matter is between the judiciary and Ms. Bharti'', the party's media department chief, Girija Vyas said here. Ms. Bharti is currently in judicial custody.

Ms. Vyas disputed the BJP statement that the move was to let Ms. Bharti off so as to avoid the "creation of a law and order problem and political chaos."

She said while the issue was before the Court, Ms. Bharti and the BJP were trying to put the blame on the State administration which had clarified that the State Government decided to withdraw the cases against Ms. Bharti in January, 2002 and has not changed its opinion.

The Congress also denied that the move by the Congress-led coalition Government in Karnataka was prompted by the possible fall-out the issue may have on the Assembly polls in neighbouring Maharashtra. "The Congress is not worried. The BJP knows how to create problems and we know how to tackle them", she said.

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