Statewide stir in August if arson probe not given to CBI: Joshi

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Tuesday threatened statewide protests in August if investigation into the arson attack on her house was not handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Tuesday threatened statewide protests in August if investigation into the arson attack on her house was not handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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"We do not have any trust in the state government. If the case of fire and arson is not referred to the CBI by July 31, we will launch a statewide agitation from August 1," Joshi told reporters at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

Joshi's house in Lucknow was set on fire on Wednesday night allegedly by a group of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers because she made remarks that offended party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati both as a woman and a Dalit.

Joshi was arrested early on Thursday and charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. She was granted bail by a Moradabad court Saturday. She has already apologised for her remarks.

A police team on Tuesday visited Joshi's house and spent nearly an hour there. The team collected samples of burnt material for carrying out forensic examination, police sources said.