"I have invited Kalyan Singh to come with me instead of facing humiliation in the BJP," Bharti told reporters in Jhansi. At a time when leaders like BJP's present and former presidents, Rajnath Singh and L K Advani, have launched their respective Yatras, Kalyan Singh, a leader with mass support base, has been "left out" and is being "humiliated," Bharti, who was in Jhansi on a private visit, said.
Asked about the ongoing BJP Yatras, she said though she was not averse to them, but it appeared that the saffron party was "merely copying" the Congress.
Blog: On the road with the BJP Yatra | Complete Coverage
On the Aligarh riots, Bharti said it was a result of "BJP-Samajwadi Party nexus" and blamed the Uttar Pradesh government machinery for "laxity and apathy." Alleging that the state government was "harassing" her supporters, she said her supporter and former legislator, K K Navman has been arrested and demanded his immediate release.
Criticising the state government, she said it was only interested in "amassing wealth and shielding criminals."
She also accused the BJP leadership of taking "indirect help of criminal elements" in the recent Rajya Sabha elections and said this "double standard forced her to part ways with" the saffron party.
"BJP still has a crop of dedicated workers who are now joining me," Bharti said adding, she would contest the next assembly elections on issues pertaining to the basic problems faced by the people.