People's Democracy

        Uma Bharti Issue: BJP’s Stand Untenable

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on August 23, 2004.

THE recent posture of the BJP against the so-called tainted ministers in the central government has only exposed their duplicity on such matters and boomeranged on them. Circumstances are forcing Uma Bharati to resign from the chief ministership. The stand of the BJP and Uma Bharati that the case against Uma Bharati concerns hoisting the national flag is untenable. Uma Bharati faces charges of rioting and attempt to murder. She has also so far not explained why she has been avoiding the law dodging as many as 18 non-bailable warrants and a proclamation for attachment of property to secure her presence in court issued by the magistrate’s court in Hubli. The August 1994 rioting in Hubli, Karnataka, which resulted in the death of six persons and charges being filed against Uma Bharati and others is not an isolated occurrence but emanate from the hate campaigns conducted by the BJP and its outfits and their deliberate attempts in Hubli to disturb communal peace and amity. (INN)