Uma walks free, wants to keep it that way

Within hours of her release by the Hubli court today, Uma Bharati called a press conference to say she is not keen on resuming her job as Ch...

Within hours of her release by the Hubli court today, Uma Bharati called a press conference to say she is not keen on resuming her job as Chief Minister and is too young, anyway, to contend for the post of BJP chief.

‘‘I want Babulal Gaur (who succeeded her as CM after she resigned to surrender before a Hubli court) to continue as Chief Minister for the full term and he has my best wishes,’’ she said. As for the party’s presidentship, she said: ‘‘Venkaiah Naidu is already there as president. I am too young for the post.’’

Bharati, however, made it clear that she would go by the advice of her party leaders on her future role and the ‘‘Tiranga Yatra’’ she had proposed from Hubli to Jallianwalabagh.

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Mounting a scathing attack on the Congress, particularly its president Sonia Gandhi, she warned the latter against ‘‘indulging in Italian mafia type of politics’’, wearing a polite and sophisticated look while harbouring ‘‘bloody ideas’’ within. ‘‘This is one lesson Sonia Gandhi should learn from today’s court verdict. Despite all the Congress tantrums to implicate me, the court verdict is in my favour.’’

She charged that the Congress leaders had indulged in the ‘‘dangerous game’’ of giving a communal colour to the flag-hoisting. She said she has been fighting only to protect the honour of the national flag and nationalism. ‘‘The court verdict has proved that all the offences levelled against me were false and that flag-hoisting is not a crime.’’

Referring to the Congress’ remarks against the RSS for not hoisting the Tricolour atop its offices, Bharati said: ‘‘I would invite Sonia Gandhi as chief guest to hoist the national flag on any of the RSS offices’’.

Bharati took on the ‘‘tainted’’ ministers in the UPA Cabinet, saying she had respected the court’s orders and resigned from chief ministership unlike Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav who continues to occupy public offices after being chargesheeted in the fodder scam.

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State BJP president Ananth Kumar said the party would soon decide the day and venue from where the ‘‘Tiranga Yatra’’ would be launched.

The police said that Kumar, a resident of Turbhe MIDC in Navi Mumbai, was driving his concrete mixer truck when it collided with an SUV.

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