Mumbai: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) General Secretary Pramod Mahajan today (Aug 26, 2004) said the party was planning to launch a nation-wide agitation on the issue of Veer Savarkar, case against former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti and tainted ministers.

However, Maharashtra unit of BJP was likely to be kept away from the agitation as it would be engaged in the campaign for the October 13 Assembly elections, the senior leader and Maharashtra party affairs in-charge, told reporters in Mumbai.

Mahajan said, Savarkar issue was an emotional one and would feature in election campaign even if the party did not want it to be.

When asked whether the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister would campaign in Maharashtra, he said, Bharti, who was remanded to 14 days' judicial remand by a Hubli court yesterday, would participate depending on the court's decision.

"If Bharti is set free by the court, then she would campaign for the party", he added.

On Savarkar controversy, Mahajan said silence on the issue by Union Ministers from the State, including NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) chief Sharad Pawar, was beyond his understanding.

He said controversies should not be created on small issues of national leader's past, for political mileage.

"Congress should not forget that it had put the portrait of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Parliament even when case against him on Bofors issue was going on in court", the senior BJP leader added.