**Ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has addressed supporters, days after violence in the capital, Bishkek, overthrew his government.**Speaking to a crowd in his village of Teyit, Mr Bakiyev accused the interim government of acting like “gangsters”.
He vowed to defy any efforts by the new administration to arrest him.
His comments came after the government’s deputy leader said a “special operation” was being planned against him.
Almaz Atambayev accused Mr Bakiyev of “hiding behind a human shield” in his home region in the south of the country.
“We hope we can carry it out without the deaths of civilians,” he said.
Mr Bakiyev was ousted last week in a day of violence in Bishkek that left at least 78 people dead and more than 1,600 injured.
His appearance at the rally in Teyit was his first in public since his overthrow. Reports from the scene say several hundred supporters gathered to hear him.
“I am the president, and no one has the right or the authority to make me leave my position,” the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
“This is not a revolution, this is a seizure of power,” he said.
Mr Bakiyev said government attempts to arrest him would result in “a great deal of bloodshed which no-one will be able to justify”.
Kyrgyzstan’s interim government, led by former Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva, now controls the army and the police.
Mr Bakiyev came to power after the Tulip Revolution in 2005. His critics accuse him of corruption and authoritarianism.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.