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Uma Bharti denies threatening self-immolation if Sonia becomes PM

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Uma Bharti has denied reports appearing in a section of the media that she had threatened self-immolation if Congress president Sonia Gandhi became the prime minister.

In a statement, Bharti clarified that she had told a meeting in Calcutta that ''a thought did occur to me that I should be willing even to give my life to arouse national self-esteem'' if Sonia becomes the prime minister.

''In response to a question after the meeting whether I would be willing to lay down my life if Sonia were to become the prime minister after the coming general elections, I had stated that there should now be no need for any self-sacrifice since the entire country had time to reflect and take proper decisions,'' she said.

She said the issue was not of Sonia being a Christian. ''Anyone born in this country, regardless of whether he or she was a Hindu, Muslim or Christian or follower of any other religion, had the right to become the President, the prime minister or hold any public office,'' she said.

UNI

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