The driver had it: Uma Bharti tests Covid +ve, admits self to hospital

The senior BJP leader just concluded a pilgrimage to Kedarnath, Badrinath, before she got tested, but says she wants to appear for the Babri Demolition case verdict due on Wednesday.

Image Courtesy:news18.com

After tweeting short videos, and photos from her personal visit to the Kedarnath shrine on September 21, where she says she offered prayers “following all safety norms”, and only took off her mask to talk to the media, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti (61) announced that she had tested positive for Covid-19 on September 27. She had also visited Badrinath shrine in Chamoli district on September 24. She said she had slight fever for a few days and got herself tested because of that.

 

 

She then updated to say she had got herself admitted to hospital in Rishikesh on Monday September 28, and listed reasons why:  “I just got admitted into the AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh. There are three reasons – (1) Dr Harsh Vardhan (Union Health Minister) is very worried, (2) my fever spiked last night and (3) if I get a good report from the hospital, then I want to appear before the special CBI court day after tomorrow.” 

 

The former Union Minister, and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh said she probably got the infection from her driver, and denied news reports that suggested she had met many sadhu’s in the mountain shrines and that could be a possible source of her getting infected with Covid-19.

However, Uma Bharti was quick to add that “she wants to be present in a court in Uttar Pradesh for the mega verdict in the Babri Masjid case,” that is due in two days. The 28-year-old case of the demolition of the 16th century mosque has Bharti and 27 other accused including BJP veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh. They are all accused of a criminal conspiracy that led to the demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992. A special CBI court in Lucknow will pass its verdict on Wednesday. In July, Uma Bhati had told NDTV: “If I am sent to the gallows, I will be blessed. The place where I was born will be happy.” 

The case is separate from the Ayodhya land dispute case, and is being heard by a special CBI court in Lucknow; Sabrangindia had reported extensively on this  recently. While the Ayodhya land dispute was a civil suit, the Babri Masjid demolition case is a criminal case related to the conspiracy behind the demolition.

The case that is being heard by a Special CBI Court in Lucknow, has had a tortuous journey with conspiracy charges having been dropped earlier. However, in April 2017, the Supreme Court restored the conspiracy charges when it allowed an appeal by the CBI against a discharge given by the Allahabad High Court.  LK Advani’s statement was recorded via video-conferencing in July this year. This is significant given how it was Advani’s Rath Yatras that had helped build support for the Ram Temple movement in the 90s, sowing the seeds for othering and alienation of minorities.

At the time of delivering the verdict in the civil suit pertaining to the Ayodhya land dispute, the SC had observed that the destruction of the Babri Masjid was a violation of the law. The 16th century mosque was allegedly razed by ‘kar-sevaks’ and sundry members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal on December 6, 1992. What followed was nationwide communal violence, and a divide between the majority and minority communities… a divide from which India didn’t quite emerge unscathed.

Related:

Babri Masjid demolition case: Verdict likely on September 30
The State has no religion
Babri Masjid demolition vs pulling down of statues of racists in the US
Newsrooms, Living Rooms and Class Rooms: Evolution of the Ayodhya Narrative
Court begins recording statements of Babri demolition accused

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