Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti was released from prison on Monday afternoon following a Hubli court order discharging her in a 10-year old criminal case.

Bharti was released after all formalities were completed, official sources said.

She was in the guest house of the agricultural university at Dharwad, which had been converted into a prison on security consideration, after she was remanded to 14 days judicial custody which ends tomorrow.

Jubilant BJP workers in Madhya Pradesh took to the streets Bharti's release.

Even as party workers in major cities of the state took out rallies, party leadership asked its district units to illuminate cities with earthen candles and take out victory rallies to welcome the court decision.

"Umaji, by emerging victorious, has upheld party principle of upkeeping the national honour and the dignity of the tricolour and has set an ideal of sacrifice in Indian politics," Chief Minister Babulal Gaur told reporters.

"All efforts to give a communal colour to the public outburst and to term hoisting of tricolour a crime, have failed," he said, adding the incident would strengthen nationalist forces in the country.

"Recent court decision has proven that the Congress government had levelled baseless charges against Bharti," party state president Kailash Joshi said in a statement in Bhopal.

The news of Bharti's acquittal was also welcomed by state ministers during a Cabinet meeting being held in Bhopal.

BJP workers gathered outside the Congress office in the city, shouted slogans in favour of Bharti and beat drums to express their joy. Rallies and celebrations were were also held in other districts, including Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Ujjain.