Rita Bahuguna Joshi remanded in Judicial Custody for Insulting UP CM Mayawati

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against  UP Chief Minister Mayawati, was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on Thursday triggering a major political controversy with her Congress  party accusing the Mayawati government of indulging in personal Revenge.

Rita has been charged under the Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against UP Chief Minister  Mayawati.

“It was at a meeting in Moradabad that I had simply sought to draw the people’s attention to the fact that Mayawati’s dole of Rs.25,000 to every Dalit rape victim was quite ironical as the state police chief was spending lakhs on the helicopter ride that he undertakes to hand over that paltry amount to the victim,” Joshi told reporters.

“My intention was to remind Mayawati that being a woman she should realise that a paltry monetary compensation cannot make up for what a woman loses on account of rape,” she added.

Talking about the attack on Joshi’s house, her 50-year-old maid Munni said: “Close to midnight a group of masked men stormed into the house, raising slogans against Joshi and for Mayawati.

“They were armed with iron rods, sticks and petrol cans. They went about breaking everything before sprinkling petrol and throwing a matchstick to set the house ablaze. The fire raged for nearly two hours and several policemen were there but remained mute spectators. Later, four servants were taken away in a police vehicle. I managed to hide in one of the toilets.”