Hubli/Lucknow, Sept. 4: The Congress-led Karnataka government today persisted with its ambiguous stand, cloaking its opposition to withdrawing charges against Uma Bharti even as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said he smelt a conspiracy to prolong the firebrand sadhvi’s detention.

“I will have to go to Bangalore and join the stir for Uma Bharti’s release,” Vajpayee said but did not specify dates.

In his five-page report to the Hubli court, Karnataka assistant public prosecutor . Nagendra spoke of “changed circumstances” and requested judicial magistrate Mohammed Ismail to pass “appropriate” orders.

The court reserved its order for September 6.

Nagendra referred to the tiranga (Tricolour) yatra she plans to take out from the Idgah Maidan here to Jallianwala Bagh immediately after her release and its likely impact on law and order across the country.

“The accused (Uma and 21 others) have a tendency to indulge in activities that are against law,” he said. The BJP leader, he added, was trying to derive political mileage by her “obstinate stand” in refusing to seek bail which showed “the respect she has for the judiciary”.

The report touched on another likely fallout. It said if Uma is set free, those affected by the violence that followed the controversial flag-hoisting at the Idgah Maidan on August 15th, 1994, would lose faith in the judiciary. It will be difficult to “console” them, the report added. “The persons affected by this incident will not accept such a decision.”

Several persons had died in the flare-up that followed the flag hoisting ceremony.

The government had earlier told the high court that it stood by a decision of the previous government — also led by the Congress — to drop charges against Uma.

The high court directed it to move the Hubli court, which had issued an arrest warrant against the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, leading to her resignation and surrender.

Later, public prosecutor S.A. Barigali said: “We have given a detailed account of the case and the situation since her surrender (on August 25). It is for the magistrate to take a decision.”

In the court, four more objections were submitted against withdrawal of the cases. They were in addition to the one filed yesterday by Chittaranjan Kallannavar, a local resident, opposing the government’s plea to drop charges against Uma.

S. Dore Raju, counsel for Uma, said the report and comments of the assistant public prosecutor were “politically motivated”. He pleaded that the court take into account an application by the state government (filed in July 2002) to withdraw cases against her.

He also questioned the stand of the five persons who submitted objections against the government’s move to withdraw the charges.

Uma is scheduled to appear before the judicial magistrate on September 7 at the end of her 14-day judicial remand.

In Lucknow, Vajpayee said the Congress is looking for ways to extend Uma’s detention to prevent her from taking part in the campaigning for the October elections in Maharashtra.

“What the Karnataka government exactly wants should be made public,” the former Prime Minister said. “The district administration in Hubli says it is ready to withdraw cases against her but when the date for hearing comes, it is deferred,” he added.

“I smell a design in the deferment of the case against her.”

“Whatever the case may be, it should be judged strictly on its legal merit,” Vajpayee said.