Covid positive Uma Bharti hospitalised, says wants to appear for Babri case verdict

New Delhi, Sep 28: Former union minister Uma Bharti, who has tested positive for the coronavirus has been admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh for her treatment.

The senior BJP leader said that if authorities allow her, then she would like to appear in the special CBI court of Lucknow on Wednesday when it is likely to pronounce the verdict in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

"I have just been admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh. There are three reasons: Dr Harshvardhan is worried for me; I got a high fever at (Sunday) night; and if I get a positive nod from the AIIMS after tests, then I would like to appear in the CBI court of Lucknow the day after tomorrow," she tweeted in Hindi.

On Sunday, Bharti said that she tested positive for the COVID-19 on Sunday after returning from the Himalayas.

Meanwhile, a special court will pronounce its verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case on September 30. Special judge, S K Yadav has directed all accused persons to remain present in the court when the verdict is being read out.

In August, the Supreme Court extended by a month the deadline for completion of trial in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case involving 32 accused, including BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti, and said that judgement should be delivered by September 30.

The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by 'kar sevaks' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple stood at the same site.

Former deputy prime minister L K Advani and BJP veteran MM Joshi, who were among those leading the Ram temple movement at that time, had deposed before the court through video conferencing.

The court has also recorded statements of BJP stalwarts like Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti, both of whom appeared in person.