Tuesday, March 21 2006 17:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Expelled BJP leader Uma Bharti today (Mar 21 2006) staged a show of strength in Delhi, ahead of launching her new party next month which she said would be based on core Hindutva ideology.

Accompanied by suspended BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana and another veteran Sangh Priya Gautam, she said the Hindutva she believed in endorses uniform civil code and respect for lord Ram by all communities living in India.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also said she would not stake claim on the BJP's lotus symbol but would launch her party on April 30 with a distinct election symbol.

"The Hindutva I talk about means that Hindus, Muslims and Christians show respect for Ram the same way the Hindus show respect for Prophet Mohammed and the Vatican," Bharti said at her 'Janadesh' rally here. In her speech, she attributed her expulsion from the BJP to her refusal to "the party's dictation to stay silent."

Bharti accused the BJP of sidelining its mass leaders one after the other, saying the party was being run by a group of "political managers."