Reports of return to BJP baseless: Uma

Gwalior, Oct 3 (UNI) Describing as ''baseless'' the reports of her return to the Bharatiya Janta Party fold, Bharatiya Jana Shakti Founder-President Uma Bharti today alleged that certain BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal were spreading rumours of that nature to prevent further disintegration of the saffron party.

''I am not even remotely contemplating the possibility of a return,'' the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told mediapersons here.

Quipping that BJP leaders were unable to forget the pleasure of being in power at the Centre, the firebrand sadhvi claimed that the party would be wiped out of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the next general election and that would be a close action replay of what would happen in the preceding assembly polls.

Targeting the state government for Datia district's Sindh river tragedy, which claimed the life of 37 pilgrims, she added that the regime's lack of control over the administration led to a ''replay'' of the Dharaji tragedy.

''Last year, more than 50 Hindu pilgrims were washed away during bhootri amavasya in Dewas district following sudden release of water from a dam on the Narmada river. The Sindh tragedy is an example of administrative incompetence,'' Ms Bharti alleged.

Describing the deaths as ''murder,'' she added that the officials concerned ought to be suspended.

Firing a broadside at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the sanyasin said, ''last November, I was not in favour of Mr Chouhan being bestowed with that responsibility but late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and other bigwigs seated him in the august chair due to their vested interests.'' The main Opposition Congress also failed to fulfil its responsibilities, she added.

UNI XC-AC DKA BD2008