Modi to let Uma Bharti continue in office

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will let Union minister Uma Bharti continue in office though questions have been raised on whether she will step down, considering the framing of charges against her in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Given the political fallout of the case within the BJP and outside, the prime minister would rather wait for the special CBI Court's verdict before any call is taken on her position as a minister, a party official said.

Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "Let the judiciary come to a conclusion". Without naming Uma, Naidu said no minister will resign because of the new charge sheet and the BJP is committed to a Ram Mandir. 

Naidu said, "This was a political case which was foisted on our leaders. I do not want to go in-depth into that now as the court is hearing the case. Our important leaders will come out without any problem. It will not stand the scrutiny of the law and after trial, they will come out with flying colours."

Naidu held that "if these charges were related to moral turpitude or something like that, I can understand on why a minister



should resign. This is an agitation and a political case has been going on for the last 20 years."

Naidu said, "During the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, where Advani was the home minister and deputy prime minister, we thought we should not withdraw the case. Had it been any other party, it would have withdrawn these cases. We have not done it at that time and we have not done it now also."

When the Supreme Court had on April 19 ordered Uma's prosecution, she had announced that she had no problem quitting.

Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had said if the filing of a charge sheet was the criteria, then some Congress chief ministers will have to resign."There have been ministers, there have been deputy prime ministers... If charge sheet is the rule (to resign), then just calculate, how many Congress chief ministers will (have to go). There are very few left anyway," he had said.

The Congress leadership has let Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh stay in office though he is being prosecuted by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.