Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti on Wednesday surrendered before a court in Hubli, Karnataka, in connection with a 10-year-old criminal case and was remanded to 14 days' judicial custody.
Shortly after she arrived by train to a tumultuous welcome from cheering Bharatiya Janata Party and Bajrang Dal supporters, Bharti surrendered before Judicial First Class Magistrate Mohammad Ismail, but refused to seek bail.
| |||||||||||
"I accept court verdict with pleasure and honour," said Bharti, who will be lodged in the Hubli sub-jail as per the magistrate's order.
The court had issued a non-bailable warrant against her on August 3 in connection with the case, which relates to hoisting of the national flag and subsequent violence at the Idgah Maidan on August 15, 1994.
"I can sacrifice my life for the honour of the national tricolour. I am ready to go to jail," said Bharti, who arrived by the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Goa Express, which she boarded at Bhopal within hours of resigning as CM.
"I condemn the tricolour politics of Sonia Gandhi and the Congress," Bharti said after emerging from the packed court.
"It is unfortunate that after 57 years of independence, I have to go to jail because I hoisted the national flag." Hubli was placed under tight security and almost wearing a deserted look.
The BJP's Karnataka unit has called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday to protest against the non-withdrawal of cases against Bharti.
"It will be a voluntary bandh," state unit president Ananth Kumar said. Bharti did not file any application for cancellation of the warrant, issued afresh by the Hubli court on August 3.