UP Cong chief moves court over attack, seeks CBI probe

Congress party's Uttar Pradesh chief, Rita Bahuguna Joshi filed a petition before the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the July 15 arson attack on her Lucknow residence.

Arson in UP Cong chief's house: BSP MLA booked

In her petition, Joshi squarely blamed state Chief Minister Mayawati and her henchmen for the arson attack.

The demand for a CBI probe came two days after the Uttar Pradesh government appointed Bahujan Samaj Party leader Intezaar Amad Abdi, the man who allegedly led the attack on Joshi's house, as chairman of the UP Sugar Corporation.

The move invited the Congress party's ire. The chairman of the State Sugar Corporation has the rank Minister of State.

According to BSP sources, the party leadership cleared Abdi's appointment a week before and said it has no connection to Joshi's arson case.

Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan condemned the move, saying rewarding the BSP, has no respect for the law.

Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh said it was the Congress that is encouraging Mayawati to take such steps, as it has no clear stand about the Uttar Pradesh government.

An FIR has been filed against Abdi and a BSP MLA from Bikapur, Jitendra Singh Babloo, in the Hussainganj police station in Lucknow.

The state unit of the Congress Party has vowed to launch statewide demonstrations, to demand the arrest of these two BSP leaders.

Uttar Pradesh police have already found the car that was used to attack Joshi's Lucknow residence.

Police sources said that the Toyota Qualis belongs to the Bahujan Samaj Party leader from Varanasi, Abidi.

Meanwhile, a Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department probe has been ordered into the vandalism case concerning Joshi's property.

Joshi, however, has demanded a Criminal Bureau of Investigation probe. She has met Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, and she said: "The party is extremely concerned about my safety. They were extremely agitated about the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh."

Joshi was released from a Moradabad jail on Saturday. She had made some derogatory remarks against Mayawati at a public meeting, and was arrested in Ghaziabad on Wednesday night while she was on her way to Delhi.

She was booked under 153 A (delivering inflammatory speeches) and Section 109 of IPC (using abusive language) besides under provisions of SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act.