New Delhi: BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) campaign on the 'tainted ministers' issue appeared to have recoiled today (Aug 20, 2004) with the party forced to consider the continuance of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati in office after a Hubli court declared her a proclaimed offender in a case of rioting and attempt to murder related to the Idgah controversy.

With the Hubli sessions court set to pronounce its order on a Karnataka Government petition seeking to re-open the cases against Bharati, the party has called a meeting of its Parliamentary Board on Monday or Tuesday to consider "all aspects" of the issue depending on the court decision.

Bharati, who the party said had left the decision on her continuance on the Central leadership, told a press conference that she made no offer to step down. She had a meeting with senior party leader L K Advani.

Maintaining there was no case against her after the S M Krishna Government had initiated the process of withdrawing the charges framed in the 1995 flag-hoisting incident, she charged Congress President Sonia Gandhi with "pressuring" her party Government to re-open the case.

The news of the BJP having decided to go into the issue of her continuance in office was broken by party leader Sushma Swaraj on a day when both the Houses of Parliament were rocked by Congress and other UPA (United Progressive Alliance) constituents demanding her resignation and arrest.

Citing BJP's campaign in Parliament demanding removal of 'tainted ministers' in the Manmohan Singh Government, they said the BJP did not have any moral right to take up the issue.

BJP, however, said the case against Bharati was "politically foisted" because the BJP had been targeting the Centre on the 'tainted ministers' issue. They also said the case pertained to hoisting of the national flag.

Meanwhile, party President M Venkaiah Naidu told over phone from Guntur that the Parliamentary Board will await the court's decision and discuss "various aspects" of the case, including the "changed stand of the Karnataka Government" before deciding its "future course of action".