By IANS,
Lucknow/New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government Sunday announced an inquiry by its crime branch into remarks by state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Chief Minister Mayawati. But Joshi demanded that the probe be done by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Now, CB-CID (crime branch-criminal investigation department) would investigate the case,” state Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told reporters in Lucknow.
Joshi was arrested Wednesday night for making remarks that offended Mayawati both as a woman and a Dalit. Joshi has been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and was sent to judicial custody. She was granted bail by a Moradabad court Saturday.
In retaliation to the anti-Mayawati remarks, Joshi’s house in Lucknow was set on fire Wednesday night allegedly by a group of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers.
Meanwhile, Joshi demanded that the probe be done by the CBI.
“My issue was right and it is a debatable one. I am sorry for what I said. The Uttar Pradesh government is very insensitive. They do not care for the women,” Joshi told reporters in Ghaziabad.
Joshi said she did not intend to demean anyone or any caste. “The probe should be done by the CBI,” she added.
Describing the charges against her as “disproportionate and illegal”, Joshi said she was “ready to go to jail a 100 times and will continue to fight for the poor, downtrodden and women’s rights”.