UP Cong chief's crime can't be forgiven: Mayawati

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday declared that the legal proceedings against state Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was arrested on Wednesday night for allegedly making inflammatory comments against the Bahujan Samaj Party chief, would continue.

While referring to the compensation being given to Dalit rape victims in the state, the UPCC chief had allegedly said, "If Mayawati were to face similar circumstances, I could shell out a compensation of Rs 1 crore."

"Even if Joshi manages to get bail like Varun Gandhi (who is facing charges under the National Security Act clamped by the state police), her crime cannot be forgiven," said the UP CM.

"Sooner or later she will be punished for the crime she has committed as per law," she added.

"I have come to know that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has expressed deep pain and anguish over Joshi's reprehensive and indecent remarks against me. Therefore, in the interest of the country and the people, the party has decided to assist in peaceful and smooth conduct of both houses of Parliament," she said.

She added that Gandhi's disapproval was more of a "compulsion in the wake of the declining political graph of the Congress among the people, specially Dalits. After my statement, that Joshi made derogatory remarks against me in Moradabad on the directives of the Congress high command, Sonia Gandhi was compelled to express anguish and pain because of the declining goodwill of the party," she claimed.

Taking on the Congress, Mayawati said that the party should learn to restrain its members from making 'uncivilised and obscene' comments.

"The Congress should not underestimate the BSP. Some Congress workers had organised rallies in various parts of the state on Thursday to protest Bahuguna Joshi's arrest. I want to warn them that if I had let BSP members unleash their anger, and not urged them to exercise restraint, the Congress workers would be forced to flee like rats."

"If BSP members had indeed taken to the streets to protest the insult against me, not only UP but the entire country would have to a standstill," claimed Mayawati.

However, members of Parliament of the BSP would not hamper the proceedings of the Upper or Lower House on Friday, like they did on Thursday, assured the UP CM.

She also thanked those leaders who had protested against Bahuguna Joshi's comments in Parliament on Thursday.