Attempt to murder case against Uma

Chhatarpur, Nov 1 (UNI) A case of attempted murder has been registered against Bharatiya Jan Shakti President Uma Bharti at the Bhagwa Police station in this district on BJP worker Sankalp Pratap Singh, alias Halke Raja's complaint, police said.

A first information report was filed against the BJS president and seven others under sections 307/147/148/149 of the IPS and under the Arms Act yesterday.

A television channel showed Ms Bharti directing to ''shoot'' Mr Singh on October 30 when irate villagers had surrounded her convoy at the fag end of polling for the assembly by-election in Malehra.

Earlier, Mr Singh was slapped by Ms Bharti's PSO. Her driver was injured and few vehicles were damaged in the attack.

BJP and BJS workers were involved in a slanging match over the controversy.

A case has been registered against five unidentified people for attacking Ms Bharti's convoy on the basis of her PSO's complaint, while on the basis of another complaint by the BJP, a case has been registered against nine BJS workers, including BJS General Secretary Prahalad Patel.

BJS workers claimed that the attack on Ms Bharti's convoy was mounted out at the instance of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

BJP workers held Ms Bharti responsible for the whole episode alleging that irate villagers surrounded the BJS leader and her cavalcade after Mr Singh was slapped. At that juncture, Ms Bharti threatened to shoot Mr Singh and later BJS workers began an assault and damaged nine BJP vehicles.

BJP candidate Kapoorchand Ghuwara is fasting in Chhatarpur to protest the ''terror tactics'' of BJS workers and in support of a demand for their arrest.

UNI XC SB KP1220