Uma courts controversy

On April 1, at a press conference in Bhopal, Bharati had announced that she would not visit Ujjain for the Shahi Snans and that she would request the VIPs to also keep away from Ujjain on these days because the administration would not be able to make appropriate arrangements.

When she did reach the city in the evening of the first Shahi Snan, the entire district administration and a police force, on duty without a break for the past 24 hours, scrambled to attention. Many in the media were informed that she would be bathing at Ramghat. But she chose to give the slip and drove to the akhara where mediapersons were not allowed. It is learnt that Bharati bathed at 4 am with a bucket of Kshipra water in the akhara premises.

The Ujjain police was only going through what Bharati8217;s security personnel in Bhopal suffered earlier in the day. As per her schedule, Bharati was to leave for Ayodhya at 2.30 pm for Hanuman Jayanti and would then head for Sasaram.

At 2 pm, her security was informed she would leave by helicopter for the Amba Mata shrine in Gujarat. Then again, she decided to reach Indore by road and fly to the shrine 8212; she finally decided to travel the 600 km to the shrine by road.