Uma calls off dharna at police station

Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh Oct 31 (UNI) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti called off her ''dharna'' at Bada Malehra police station in Chhatarpur district following talks with Sagar Divisional Commissioner R R Gangarekar and Sagar range IG Swaran Singh.

Ms Bharti, the founder-president of the Bharatiya Jan Shakti, staged 'dharna' for nine hours demanding removal of Chhatarpur SP Chanchal Shekhar and arrest of villagers, who attacked her convoy in Serora village at the fag end of the polling for the assembly by-election in Malehra.

During talks with senior officials, she threatened to take severe action if her demands were not considered within a week.

BJP and BJS workers clashed at Serora village after Ms Bharti's PSO slapped a BJP worker. About six vehicles in Ms Bharti's convoy were damaged and her driver injured in the attack, which she described as ''pre-planned'' and at ''the behest of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.'' She also alleged that the SP had hired 'goondas' to attack her supporters.

Meanwhile, in a retaliatory action, at least nine vehicles of the BJP were damaged when the BJS workers went on rampage in Bada Malehra today.

Police registered cases against five unidentified people in connection with the attack on the convoy. State BJS President Raghunandan Sharma also staged a 'dharna' in the state capital today to protest the incident.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh came out in Ms Bharti's support and condemned the attack on her criticising the state government for not providing her adequate security despite the threat to her life.

Ms Bharti's convoy was attacked while she was moving around the constituency as BJS candidate Rekha Yadav's polling agent for by-elections in Malehra, which fell vacant due to her resignation after her expulsion from the BJP.

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