Wednesday, July 20 2005 19:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Rehabilitated by the party only recently after her famous outburst before last Diwali, senior BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Uma Bharati today (July 20, 2005) said she would continue to "interfere" in the functioning of the Madhya Pradesh Government.

Dismissing media speculation that she was in the "race" for party Presidentship in the event of a leadership change, the fiery Sanyasin also came down heavily on former Delhi BJP strongman Madan Lal Khurana for allegedly "lying" that he had got the clearance of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) leaders before sending a letter to party chief L K Advani asking him to resign from both posts.

"I will never leave Madhya Pradesh politics. I have a commitment to the people of the State. I will continue to interfere in the State Government's functioning", Bharati, who was recently made co-incharge of the party's affairs in election-bound Bihar, told sources in New Delhi in an exclusive interview.

However, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister who had to step down in the wake of the flag hoisting case in a Hubli court last year, clarified that her, "Interference would be at the level of the Chief Minister and not the bureaucracy. I will not act as an extra constitutional authority".

"I had nominated Babulal Gaur as the State's Chief Minister and I am responsible for both the successes and failures of the BJP Government in the State", she said.

Bharati said she would openly praise the "right decisions" of the Government and "criticise within closed doors" the "wrongs" of the Government, if any.

Bharati declined to comment on either the controversial appointment or subsequent resignation of Krishna Gaur, the Chief Minister's daughter-in-law, as the head of the MP Tourism Development Corporation.

Asked about the recent RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)-BJP crisis to defuse which she played a key role including meeting Sangh Chief K S Sudarshan in Nagpur, she said, "I was very concerned and worried but now I have heaved a sigh of relief. I feel happy and relaxed".

She, however, took strong exception to Khurana's letter to Advani asking him to step down both as party President and Leader of Opposition. "I respect him but his claim that he had the permission of RSS to write that letter is a lie and is baseless. He was the person who left the Union Cabinet after condemning the Sangh. He has been a worst critic of the RSS".

On the letters written by leaders like Pyarelal Khandelwal, whose 75th birthday celebrations she had attended recently in Bhopal, Bharati said, "It is a matter of concern but the party will deal with it".

Maintaining she was only an "ordinary and small worker" of the party, she refuted as "baseless" media speculation that she was in the "race" for the party Presidentship.

She also ruled out reports that she would be appointed as full Incharge of the party for the Bihar polls in view of incumbent Arun Jaitley's indisposition. "He will join me very soon. We will divide our strategic and campaign work", she said.

Bharati said the recent RSS-BJP episode will not cast its shadow on Bihar polls as BJP and JDU (Janata Dal United) were natural allies.

On her recent spat with JDU Chief George Fernandes on the RSS issue, she said, "It is all over."