Uma Bharti acquitted in Tricolour dishonour case

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on Thursday expressed her happiness after being acquitted of allegedly disrespecting the national flag during her Tiranga Yatra at Hubli, adding that she would sacrifice her life for the Tricolour.

"When I had gone to Hubli, the crowd there gave me a Tricolour. A magazine had published a photograph of me holding the Tricolour, and then a case was filed against me for holding the Tricolour in a wrong manner. Today the honourable court has acquitted me that case...I am willing to sacrifice my life and chair for the Tricolour. The Tricolour represents a nation, I am happy that the court has acquitted me," Bharti told ANI.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Pankaj Maheshwari stated that photographs of the event in Hubli do not show that Bharti had insulted the national flag.

In 2004, a local Congress leader Deepchandra Yadav had filed a complaint against Bharti alleging that she had disrespected the national flag during her Tiranga Yatra in Hubli.