Uma Bharti

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power twice at the Centre riding on the Ram Mandir movement wave. So it should not disown the movement and wriggle out of its responsibility for the Babri mosque demolition. I was in the BJP then and was present at the site on the fateful day. I am ready to face any consequence, even to go to jail. [7]

She has also denied the presence of any conspiracy by the Sangh, while stating that she does not regret the demolition, as it furthers the goal of building a Ram Mandir there. [6] [8]

In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Bharti switched constituencies and won the Bhopal seat. She became a cabinet member of the Vajpayee administration, and held various state- and cabinet-level portfolios, being those for Human Resource Development, Tourism, Youth Affairs and Sports, and finally Coal and Mines. [2]

Chief Minister

Bharti was appointed the Chief Ministerial candidate of the BJP for the 2003 Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. On the back of a fierce campaign based on a platform of development, and helped along by her reputation as a Hindutva firebrand, she led the party to a sweeping victory in which it won 173 out of 230 seats in the legislature. [1] [12] She was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Madhya Pradesh. [2]

Bharatiya Janashakti Party

In August 2004, after only a year in office, an arrest warrant was issued against Bharti in connection with the 1994 Hubli riots,[ clarification needed ] forcing her resignation. [13] [14] In November 2004, she had a public falling out with Advani during a meeting at the BJP headquarters. This led to a suspension from the BJP, which was revoked a few months later at the insistence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist social service volunteer organisation. [1] She continued to publicly defy the BJP high command, insisting that she replace Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, which led to several show-cause notices from the party, and eventually, to her expulsion. [2]

In response, Bharti floated her own political party, the Bharatiya Janshakti Party. She stated that her party followed the ideology of the RSS, and claimed that she had the support of Mohan Bhagwat, head of the RSS. [7] However, the party had a marked lack of political success. [2]

Re-entry into the BJP

Bharti was re-inducted into the BJP on 7 June 2011. She was tasked with reviving the party in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of that state's assembly election in 2012. [15] In those elections, she was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Charkhari constituency. [16] [17] Subsequently, she was appointed to the position of party vice-president along with twelve others, as part of a team created to guide the BJP through the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. [2] On 16 May 2014, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhansi constituency by defeating Chandrapal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party. [18] [19] She served as the Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation from 26 May 2014 to 1 September 2017. [20] She became the Minister of drinking water and sanitation on 3 September 2017. [21] Uma Bharti donated one month of her salary to support the welfare of families of Central Reserve Police Force personnel murdered in the 2019 Pulwama attack perpetrated by a Kashmiri militant against the Indian Army. [22]

Threats against Walmart

In late November 2011, when the Government of India decided to allow 51% foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail and 100% in single brand retail, Uma Bharti threatened Walmart with arson should they enter the Indian market. [23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Powerpuff girls who rule Indian politics". India Today. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Manjesh, Sindhu (26 February 2014). "Who is Uma Bharti?". NDTV. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Uma Bharti in Aap Ki Adalat (Part 1)". India TV News. Retrieved 10 August 2023. See from 10:12 to !0:16, "I belong to Lodhi caste"
  4. ↑ "The Worldly Ascetic". Business and Economy. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Biographical Sketch – Member of Parliament 16th Lok Sabha". Lok Sabha website. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 Jacob, Jeemon. "Babri Masjid Demolition: Through the Lens". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 Bhagwat, Ramu (2 July 2009). "Own up responsibility, Uma Bharti tells BJP". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  8. 1 2 "I take moral responsibility: Uma Bharti". The Hindu. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Uma Bharti flays Kalyan for regretting Babri demolition". The Hindu. 18 April 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Babri case: SC restores criminal conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  11. ↑ "Babri Masjid Demolition: SC reinstated criminal conspiracy against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti". MicNode News. 19 April 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "BJP sweeps out Congress from 3 states". The Tribune. 5 December 2003. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Uma 'happily' goes to jail ensuring party goes to town". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  14. ↑ "BJP meet to decide Uma Bharati's fate". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  15. ↑ "Back to BJP". Economic Times. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2012 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF UTTAR PRADESH" (PDF). ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA.
  17. ↑ Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek (7 March 2012). "Uma Bharti, Kalraj Mishra and Rita Bahuguna among winners". THE HINDU.
  18. ↑ "Election Results 2014: Seven Union Ministers taste humiliating defeat in Uttar Pradesh". The Economic Times. 16 May 2014.
  19. ↑ "GENERAL ELECTION TO LOK SABHA TRENDS & RESULT 2014, Uttar Pradesh – Jhansi". ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "Narendra Modi government: Full list of portfolios and ministers". The Indian Express. 27 May 2014.
  21. ↑ "Cabinet rejig: Uma, Rudy skip swearing-in ceremony", The Times of India , 4 September 2017
  22. ↑ "Congress leader Noor Bano blames security forces for Pulwama attack". India Today. 17 February 2019.
  23. ↑ "Will set Walmart store on fire: Uma Bharti - Politics - Politics News - ibnlive". ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
Uma Bharti
Uma Bharati in 2014.jpg
Uma Bharti in 2014
Vice-President of Bharatiya Janata Party
Offices and distinctions
Lok Sabha
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Jhansi
2014 – 2019		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
8 December 2003 – 22 August 2004		Succeeded by
Preceded by
(Erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources)
Harish Rawat
Minister of Water Resources,
River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation
26 May 2014 – 3 September 2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation
3 September 2017 – 24 May 2019		Succeeded by
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