Lucknow, March 22 (IANS) Bharatiya Janashakti Party leader Uma Bharti Sunday asked rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh to apologise for expressing regret over the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Uma Bharti, who was suspended from the BJP in 2004 and then expelled in 2005, said she was upset over Kalyan Singh regretting the demolition of the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya in 1992.
'Kalyan Singhji has hurt the sentiment of lakhs of people like me,' Uma Bharti told reporters shortly before she drove off to Ayodhya to offer prayers at the Ramjanmabhoomi temple.
'He (Kalyan Singh) must take back his words and tender a public apology for expressing regret over the Babri Masjid demolition for which he had once proudly owned up the responsibility,' the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.
Kalyan Singh was chief minister when the mosque was demolished. He however in February parted ways with the BJP and said he owned 'moral responsibility' for the 1992 demolition of the mosque.
Uma Bharti said if Kalyan Singh apologised 'I will happily go campaigning door to door, seeking votes for him'.
The Bharatiya Janashakti Party leader, who had a public falling out with the BJP, reiterated her support for L.K. Advani's prime ministerial candidature and said she would campaign for him.
'I am all for Lal Krishna Advaniji, but not for the BJP,' she said.
She even expressed her willingness to campaign for Lucknow's BJP candidate Lalji Tandon.
Asked if her intent to support Advani was aimed at keeping the doors open to seek a position in case Advani rode on to become the country's prime minister, she said: 'That question does not arise because I am not even contesting the election.'
'My support for Advaniji will be in my capacity as leader of my party, which will continue to remain an independent entity.'
Even as she denied that she was paving the way for a rapprochement with the BJP , she said: 'My trip to Ayodhya was funded by some BJP leaders as I did not have sufficient money to even hire a private cab.'
About Varun Gandhi's alleged diatribe against Muslims, she said: 'What Varun said about the Muslim community is bad.'
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