On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief would be riding at the head of a procession of party workers in Lucknow to celebrate Loktantra Vijay Diwas.
The Congress is now out to use the Rita Joshi-Mayawati spat to its advantage. On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief would be riding at the head of a procession of party workers in Lucknow to celebrate Loktantra Vijay Diwas.
The programme, meant to celebrate Joshi’s release from the Moradabad jail on Saturday, is likely to — and perhaps meant to — add injury to the insult to state chief minister Mayawati. Joshi spent two nights in jail after criminal cases were registered against her for passing indiscreet remarks against Mayawati.
But Joshi sounds irrepressible. “I regret the seven seconds of that statement in which I did use inappropriate words for Mayawati. But there was a lot of anger in me over the cases of rape... it was an emotional outburst,” she said.
Congress sources said Joshi was supposed to meet party president Sonia Gandhi but that was postponed because of Sonia’s engagements with Hillary Clinton. Joshi met Janardan Dwivedi and Digvijay Singh, and for the time being seems to be getting support from the party.
Rahul Gandhi’s statement on Friday supporting Joshi’s stand has scotched rumours that she could be replaced. The Congress is clearly in an aggressive mood now. The UP government on Sunday announced an inquiry by the crime branch into the burning of Joshi’s house.
Digvijay Singh said that the inquiry by UP police was pointless. “Pictures clearly show BSP men setting Ritaji’s house on fire. Only a CBI inquiry will unveil the truth,” he said.
The Congress seems to have smelt a big opportunity for revival in UP and it is out to make the most of it.
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