It is a Congress conspiracy, says Uma

On her way to Hubli in Karnataka to surrender before a trial court in a riot case, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti, who faces a non-bailable arrest warrant, said the case was a 'well-planned conspiracy' by Congress.

"How can Congress link me to violence? I am not connected to it in any way. The violence was incited by the Karnataka Police. This is not a communal issue," she said in Bhusaval on her way to Hubli by the Goa Express.

Bharti, facing the NBW in a 1994 case vis-a-vis hoisting of the national flag at the disputed Idgah Maidan in Hubli, said, "To link the unfurling of the tricolour with violence, as Congress is doing, is a well-planned conspiracy."

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To a question whether her interaction with BJP workers enroute Hubli was 'election politics', she said, "We are trying to create awareness among the workers. To call it election strategy is a rumour spread by Congress."

"This (interaction with BJP workers) is part of my 'jansampark andolan' (mass-contact programme) and if 'Ram ka nam' (holy name of Ram) and 'tirange ki shan' (the pride of the tricolour) is considered as communalism, then it would amount to an insult to the country," she said.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police S N Borkar told PTI in Hubli that she would be arrested the moment she enters Karnataka.

Bharti is expected to reach Hubli tomorrow. The District and Sessions Judge, Hubli, J M D'Cunha had yesterday dismissed Bharti's plea to drop the charges against her in the case.