New Delhi, April 9: Aamir Khan can say a longer prayer for Tibet — in his heart — while carrying the Olympic torch now that Kiran Bedi has decided to go the Bhaichung Bhutia way.

The outspoken former police officer has opted out of the mini run on Delhi’s Rajpath because of the “highly suffocating security” ring around the Olympic flame.

“I am decongesting the route,” she said with a laugh. “How will this be a run if there are commandos all around?”

A sportswoman herself, Bedi had come out against mixing sports with politics when Bhutia chose the Tibetan cause over the spirit of the Games. She had said she would be proud to carry the torch for what it represents.

As she did a U-turn today, Bedi asked: “Where is the sportsman’s spirit left? It is a caged environment. What is the point of having a helicopter on top? Do they think the Tibetans will attack from the sky?”

Bedi has conveyed her decision to Coca-Cola, which had asked to her to take part in the run.

“I am focusing on the strengths of India,” she said. “We are a democratic country and we are used to handling dissent. We respect it. We don’t snuff it. If people are protesting nearby and the media is focusing on it, we should manage it.”

Bedi believes that Delhi police are capable of handling demonstrations. “There will not be a situation like Paris. I have handled Tibetan demonstrations. If there is an agitation or a protest, it will be well handled by the police as they have done before. We have enough resources,” she said.

Instead of sticking to the method of handling crowds, like during the Republic Day parade, Rajpath’s sprawling lawns are being turned into an “incarcerated pathway”, she said.

“I don’t want to carry the torch on such a path. This has taken away the exhilaration. I don’t want to be part of this feeling of paranoid insecurity and fear. It reduces it to a mere tokenism and hypocritical formality.”

Indian authorities have shortened the torch relay route to 3km because of security concerns and commandos will make sure the flame is unharmed.

“The lawns can be an excellent opportunity for bringing hundreds of students and government personnel to make the event participatory. If people protest within the law, then it is fine. If they cross the line, they should be arrested. But we respect human rights within the law,” Bedi said.