New Delhi: Congress on Thursday accused
Mayawati Government of "sponsoring" an attack on the Lucknow
residence of its state chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi out of
"personal vendetta" while terming the UPCC leader's remarks as
"uncalled for".
"The comments of Rita Bahuguna Joshi were un-called
for," the AICC in-charge for UP Digvijay Singh, said while
maintaining that the "context (of her remarks) should be
considered in which they have been said."
"All this has happened at the behest of UP Chief
Minister...under the sponsorship of the state government. The
FIR has the name of Babloo Tiwari, a BSP MLA, who spearheaded
the attack," he said.
Party spokesperson Manish Tiwari described the arson
as an act of "complete desperation" and said "ransacking the
house of UPCC President is going to be the last nail in the
coffin of the Mayawati government... it has stirred a hornet's
nest."
Tiwari said Mayawati was resorting to "strong arm
tactics to cow the Congress into submission".
Another party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "It
(action against Joshi) was completely wrong.... especially
after Joshi had clarified she did not mean what has been
ascribed to her and that she is a product of women' movement
and cannot be derogatory to women."
Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmad said the party would
fight the Mayawati government both politically and legally in
Uttar Pradesh.
He said Joshi's were "unnecessary" but pointed out
that the Congress leader had already expressed regrets for her
remarks.
"She has already regretted it. What was the need to
lodge cases against her," he asked.
"The attack on her residence has been done in a planned
and deliberate manner under government patronage," Ahmad told
a news agency.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, July 16, 2009, 16:05