Uma Bharti arrested and released in Bhopal

Bhartiya Jan Shakti President Uma Bharti Thursday organised a rally of her supporters before surrendering to police in connection with a case of attempted murder registered against her.

Around 5,000 people, including Bharti, her family members and BJS office-bearers, were arrested as a preventive measure for violating prohibitory orders and later released, police said. Though Bharti and her party members claimed they surrendered in the case of attempted murder registered in Chhatarpur district on October 30, police clarified that they "were not in a position" to execute the arrests as no official communication was received about the matter.

A report was being sought from police in Chhatarpur, they said after the rally, attended by thousands of BJS workers carrying party flags and shouting slogans, ended. Later, Bharti led a delegation of her family members and office-bearers to meet the state police chief.

"I will ask him to disclose the complainants who were injured. If the cases registered against me, my family members and partymen do not hold water, will action be taken against officials responsible for it?" she announced before boarding a bus to go to the DGP's office.

"By setting us free, they are not obliging us. This had to be done if the charges were fake," she said, describing the cases registered against her during by-elections for the Bada Malhara assembly constituency as a "black chapter in politics".