In the week the Liberhan Commission report was submitted, Uma Bharti, an accused in the Ayodhya demolition case, resurfaced in the spotlight. In the capital to participate in a dharna for an OBC sub quota in the Women’s Reservations Bill, Bharti spoke to VANDITA MISHRA on taking responsibility for the events of December 6 1992, the need to bring closure to the Ramjanmabhoomi issue, and the electoral setback suffered by her former party, the BJP. Excerpts:

• The Liberhan Commission report has come at a time when the BJP is still grappling with its second consecutive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. How do you look at the party’s predicament today?

I don’t know why the BJP defeat is being taken so seriously. The Congress also lost in 1977 and 1989 when it was still considered the natural party of governance. It lost three consecutive elections in 1996, 1998, 1999. It’s no big deal if the BJP lost twice. The crucial thing is, the BJP came back to power twice because of the charisma of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

If this election had been held six-seven months ago, the Congress would have been in the same situation as the BJP. But the Congress sorted out its problems — on price rise, for instance. It won back Mamata Banerjee, even Chandrababu Naidu became neutral.

The media is enjoying the BJP’s discomfort and we are too touchy. When I say ‘we’ I mean the Sangh school of thought — the BJP, Shiv Sena, I. We must teach ourselves to answer questions without thinking that the media is always against us.

... contd.