…But party to decide for MP on Sept 8

The BJP today welcomed the Karnataka court’s order, setting Uma Bharati free, but a decision on what to do with the sanyasin — whe...

The BJP today welcomed the Karnataka court’s order, setting Uma Bharati free, but a decision on what to do with the sanyasin — whether to reinstate her as the Madhya Pradesh CM or project her as a mass campaigner — would be taken at the party’s central office-bearers’ meeting in Bangalore on September 8.

The BJP’s week-long satyagraha in Bangalore in protest against Bharati’s arrest was to end tomorrow and a protest rally was scheduled for September 8. With Bharati’s release, the satyagraha was terminated today and the September 8 rally, to be addressed by A.B. Vajpayee, L.K.Advani and Bharati among others, has been renamed as ‘‘a victory rally’’.

Asked if Bharati would be reinstated as CM since the cases against her had now been withdrawn, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the decision would be taken on Wednesday. Jaitley also said Bharati was a very ‘‘able’’ leader, whose popularity had increased in recent days. The party would use her services in the Maharashtra poll campaign and in the Bihar elections early next year, he said.

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Jaitley slammed the Karnataka government and the Congress for ‘‘malafide behaviour’’ in dealing with Bharati. The state government had taken a decision to withdraw the case some years ago but did a volte face only because the BJP had taken up the ‘‘tainted ministers’’ issue , he said. The ‘‘credibility’’ of the Congress and the UPA government had ‘‘eroded considerably’’ because of the manner in which it handled the case, Jaitley said.

He said the BJP would now press the removal of ‘‘tainted’’ ministers from the UPA government, citing the example of Bharati who had chosen to resign as chief minister rather than hold back her chair.

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Two men belonging to the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar Gang were killed in an encounter in Ghaziabad, suspected to be involved in the firing outside Disha Patani's residence. The duo, identified as Ravindra and Arun, were wanted in multiple cases and were spotted by the police through CCTV footage. UP CM Yogi Adityanath had directed for a speedy investigation and strict action against the perpetrators.

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