BHOPAL, 22 August 2005 — Thanks to a Hubli (Karnataka) sessions court upholding the lower court’s verdict to discharge Uma Bharati from a rioting case, her supporters have come out of hibernation. They are now openly demanding that the chief ministership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh should be handed over back to their leader.
Chief Minister Babulal Gaur — who completes one year in office today — has rejected the demand, though in a roundabout manner. “Umaji is in national politics. She is working for the party’s victory in Bihar. Her continuing in national politics is in the interests of the party as well as the nation,” he said.
Uma’s supporters, however, are not convinced. They argue that as the Hubli case was the sole reason for her exit, once she has been exonerated, she should be reinstated to her former position.
“Gaur should take the initiative. He should resign to make way for Umaji,” Prahlad Patel, a former federal minister of state demanded on Aug. 17 — the very day the Hubli sessions court rejected an appeal against Uma’s discharge. Her supporters have since then held noisy demonstrations in Bhopal and elsewhere demanding her reinstatement.
