Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (Aug 31, 2004) maintained that his Government had never tried to reopen the case against former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, now in judicial custody at Dharwad.

"There is no question of any U-turn in the stand of the Government on the question of withdrawal of prosecution", Singh told reporters in Bangalore, a day after the Government told the High Court that it stood by the two-year-old decision of the State cabinet to withdraw the cases against Bharti.

Singh said the High Court had neither given any direction to the State Government nor had the State Government given any undertaking for fresh withdrawal of the case.

Singh however evaded a reply on a memo filed by the Additional Public Prosecutor before the District and Sessions Court seeking to withdraw its own petition challenging the JMFC's order, which said it had no jurisdiction to drop two of the 10 charges against Bharti.

A statement explaining the government's position said the Government in January 2002 decided the prosecution withdrawal, but the Judicial Magistrate First Class did not give consent.

Bharti is facing cases, including on charge of attempt to murder filed against her, after she defied curfew in Hubli as part of a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led agitation to hoist the National Flag at the disputed Idgah Maidan, which led to violence and death of six persons in Police firing in 1994.