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Monday, Sep 20, 2004

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Keep me away from post, Uma's plea to party

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, SEPT. 19. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, today said that she would be asking her party to keep her away from any post or position of authority so that she could carry forward her "campaign on the road" and pursue the agenda of "aggressive nationalism and fast development".

Ms. Bharti made this assertion at a press conference at the State party headquarters here today before embarking on the next leg of her Tiranga Yatra that would be taking her through Biaora, Narsingharh, Guna, Shivpuri, Gwalior and Morena before she enters Rajasthan from Dholpur tomorrow. Today was the tenth day of her Yatra that began from Hubli in Karnataka and would culminate at Jallianwalan Bagh in Pubjab on September 25.

At her press conference, Ms. Bharti was flanked by the former Union Ministers, Ananth Kumar, who is in-charge of the Tiranga Yatra, and Shahnawaz Hussain. Also seated with her were the State party President, Kailash Joshi, and the State general secretary, Kaptan Singh Solanki.

When a media person asked whether she would refuse to accept any post offered by the party, Ms. Bharti said she had only stated that she would be conveying to the party that she did not want to take up any post. "I did not say that I will not accept any post," she clarified.

Ms. Bharti described the response to her Yatra as unprecedented and said that it had changed her life. She went on to observe: "It has changed my perception about myself and my country." People's massive response to the Yatra should not be linked to any event nor viewed only from the sentimental angle, she said adding that the objective of the Yatra was not to increase her party's vote bank. The message of the Yatra is "nationalism and development" and on both these counts, the hopes and aspirations of the people have been vastly belied, he asserted.

The political parties have not bothered to maintain the honour of this country and despite its vast potential people continue to crave for "roti and ijjat" (food and honour) which is only possible through development and the spirit of nationalism. The BJP leader said that she was not going to seek power for herself but would be striving to ensure adequate power (electricity) and good roads in Madhya Pradesh during the next three-year period.

Nationalism and development shall be the agenda for the 21st century, she said, emphasising that by the year 2021 India would become a superpower by moving on the path of aggressive nationalism and rapid development.

Carrying forward her blistering attack on the Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, who was earlier

forced to resign as the Bihar Chief Minister due to his alleged involvement in the fodder scam, Ms. Bharti said that if he had any commitment to morality, he should relinquish office. At her public rally in the State Capital yesterday, Ms. Bharti had launched a scathing attack on Mr. Yadav. Despite the fodder scam, he has now been entrusted with the Union Railway portfolio, whereas she was sent to jail after she had fought for the pride of the national flag, she had said at yesterday's meeting.

When asked whether she would continue to hold the reins of power in Madhya Pradesh, Ms. Bharti said she would not like to treat the State Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur, the way the AICC President was treating the Prime Minister.

To another query, she said the Union Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, and the AICC general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, were "jokers of Indian politics".

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Keep me away from post, Uma's plea to party