Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Moradabad: Rita Bahuguna, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, who was arrested for making derogatory remarks and using abusive language against state Chief Minister Mayawati, has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked for a CD of Rita Bahuguna's alleged hate speech.
Earlier, the Congress reacted sharply to her arrest. Party leader Digvijay Singh said that the treatment meted out to Bahuguna was wrong and the party is ready to fight the battle with UP government.
"Which law says you can burn someone's house? If this is the case, our party will fight jungle raj in Uttar Pradesh. We are ready to fight this battle on the streets also," Digvijay said.
Digvijay also added that he is going to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Parliament over the issue.
Bahuguna has been charged under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Atrocities Prevention Act, which is a non-bailable offense. Rita was arrested a little after midnight in Ghaziabad when she was on her way to Delhi.
"Rita Bahuguna Joshi was addressing a gathering in an area under Majhola police station, during which she made derogatory comments against the state chief minister, which has hurt the sentiments of a particular community. An FIR has been lodged against her," said Badri Prashad, DIG, Moradabad.
In a night of dramatic and rapid developments, just before her arrest, Rita Bahuguna's Lucknow house was set ablaze by a group of masked men. They stormed into the house a little before midnight, ransacked it and looted whatever valuables they could find before setting it on fire. After that, they burnt four vehicles that were parked in the compound. Bahuguna's house is located close to the Chief Minister's office.
Five people have been arrested for setting Bahuguna's home on fire
The media reached Bahuguna's house before the police arrived and what the cameras captured were some masked men leaving the house, shouting slogans. They were still there when the police arrived but no attempt was allegedly made to arrest the men.
Rita Bahuguna has accused Mayawati and her supporters of looting her house and setting it on fire.
"Mayawati and her government always try to dramatise such issues. I was speaking at a gathering of 500 women and I was telling them about the condition of women in UP. My house has been set on fire. Mayawati's men and MLA are responsible for it. They have looted money from my home," said Bahuguna.
In the speech that incurred Mayawati's wrath, speaking at a public meeting in Moradabad on Wednesday afternoon, Joshi made the derogatory comment while slamming the CM's decision to send the DGP to visit Dalits who were victims of crime, including rape.
Rita Bahuguna is caught in a legal tangle at this point. She has been booked under Section 153 A for delivering inflammatory speeches, Section 109 of Indian Penal Code for using abusive language and SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act, under which she cannot get bail in the trial court.
Meanwhile, after her house was burnt in Lucknow, Bahuguna's supporters have asked for more security at her Allahabad house.