Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti has declared that she will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The former Madhya Pradesh leader, however, clarified that she would not retire from active politics, adding that she had sought permission from the BJP leadership.
The BJP leader said that she would take a break from active politics to focus on the issue of Ram temple and cleanliness of river Ganga. According to the Union minister, there is a need to build a positive environment for an ordinance on construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Uma Bharti further said that starting January 15, 2019, she would embark on a Ganga yatra for one-and-a-half years, adding that during the period she would reside on the banks of river Ganga. The Union Minister added that she had sought permission from BJP president Amit Shah for the same.
Referring to the Ram temple issue, the BJP leader said that there was no need for an agitation. “The need is build consensus among all parties. The issue of Ram temple is connected with the harmony of this country, therefore, the issue must be resolved at the earliest,” she added.
When asked about the Bulandshahr violence, which claimed lives of two persons, including a police inspector, Subodh Kumar Singh, Uma Bharti blamed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for not paying adequate attention.
“People gathered in such large numbers. Yogi ji should have paid attention. It is very sad and worrying. The incident would have been avoided if Yogi ji had paid attention to the issue,” said the Union minister.
Among other issues, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister also talked about allegations of EVM tampering, saying the Election Commission must clear all doubt about it. She added, “There are several countries that are more developed than us, still they don’t use EVMs.”
