BJP workers must behave for Uma to surrender: Dharam

As the country waits for Wednesday’s events to unfold, Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh is preparing for two scenarios. Former MP ...

As the country waits for Wednesday’s events to unfold, Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh is preparing for two scenarios. Former MP chief minister Uma Bharati will be given the opportunity to surrender before the district and sessions court in Hubli, but — if the situation demands — police have the liberty to arrest her.

After a meeting to review the state’s law and order situation, he said: ‘‘The government will not hinder Bharati from surrendering and police will step in only if BJP activists create a law and order problem.’’ He warned if the situation warranted, he will not hesitate to issue shoot-at-sight orders and added that Bharati could even be arrested on her entry into the state.

Singh, who rushed to Bangalore from New Delhi, said the police have been told to be especially alert at railway stations, airport and other sensitive places. ‘‘It is difficult to predict or anticipate the plans of people like Bharati and George (Fernandes),’’ he said. Though Bharati said she’d take a train to Hubli, Singh didn’t rule out an arrival by flight from Mumbai.

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Taking a dig at his predecessor S.M. Krishna — who had criticised the state government for re-opening the 1994 case which he had decided to withdraw in 2002 — Singh said: ‘‘Dharam Singh has not created it. It is between Bharati and the court.’’ ‘‘The court accepted the government plea for withdrawal of nine cases in connection with the flag-hoisting row at the disputed Idgah Maidan. It refused do so in two cases,’’ he added.

Blaming the BJP for twisting the criminal case into a flag-hoisting one, Singh said the party was seeking mileage. ‘‘Do we need to learn to respect the Tricolour from BJP and RSS leaders?’’ he asked.

He said the state would do everything to keep check on BJP’s plan to disturb communal harmony by ‘‘exploiting people’s emotions’’. Singh said this was not the first NBW issued against Bharati. Earlier, 18 such warrants had been issued but the MP police had not cooperated in serving them.

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