Uma apologizes for embarassment caused by her absence

BJP Vice President Uma Bharti, who kept away from the national executive meet here citing ill-health, today wrote a letter to party chief Rajnath Singh apologising for embarrasment caused due to her absence and ensuring her full support to any decision taken at the conclave.
In the letter written by her from Bhopal, Bharti said she is saddened by media reports which have "needlessly made me a part of the controversy".
She said this has caused an embarrasment to the party President.
"I am with you on all decisions that you take. Whatever decision you take in Goa has my prior support. I can never keep a contradictory view. Other than our political relations, you and I have a brother-sister relationship for the last 30 years. I am always with you," Bharti said.

She was reported to be keeping away from the national executive to show her support to senior party leader L K Advani who has gone into a sulk over moves to appoint Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as head of the BJP's campaign committee for Lok Sabha polls.
There were reports that Bharti, Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Shatrughan Sinha and B C Khanduri have skipped the conclave in solidarity with Advani.

Bharti's letter appears to be aimed at distancing her from the controversy.
"I apologise to you and the entire National Executive for any embarrasment caused due to me," she said in her letter.

Bharti also said in her letter that though it is well-known that she is "scared" of flying, she was to go to Goa in a plane with Rajnath Singh on June 6 but took ill a day before.
She changed her plans and stayed in Bhopal instead of going to Delhi to join Singh and fly with him.