Rita Joshi demands CBI inquiry into burning of her Lucknow house

New Delhi, July 19 (ANI): Refusing to accept the State Government's proposal to conduct CB-CID inquiry into the incident of burning of her house in Lucknow recently, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Sunday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the incident.

Addressing a news conference, Rita while reacting to the torching of her house and destruction of property, said that if such hooliganism was aided and abetted by the State chief, it spells ends of democracy in Uttar Pradesh.

"Whatever done in Lucknow was State sponsored 'Goondaism' (hooliganism) and I am demanding a CBI enquiry into the burning down of my house and I think they came to look for me because as I hear now my maid tells that they were shouting for me, they were looking for me. I think this kind of violence is fascist in its approach and Chief Minister, if she supports this and her officials stand by their hooligans burning down of the house of State president of a very respectable political party, I think, it is an end of democracy in UP. I would demand a CBI enquiry," said Rita Bahuguna Joshi Bahuguna, President of Uttar Pradesh State unit of Congress party.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday announced a Crime Branch-CID inquiry into the incident of arson at Rita Bahuguna Joshi's Lucknow home following her slur against Chief Minister Mayawati.

"To avoid any controversy and ensure an unbiased inquiry into the incident, the government has decided to transfer the probe to the CB-CID," Cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told reporters in Lucknow.

Joshi, however, refused the State government's offer to conduct CB-CID inquiry. Her demand was backed by senior Congress leader and Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who said the UP police could not be trusted in the matter.

Joshi's house was vandalised and set on fire on July 15.

Joshi, who is due to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, apologized for her remarks and claimed that she had been "a bit misunderstood". She is currently on interim bail.

"I am sorry for what I said. My issue was right and it is a debatable one, The UP government is insensitive. They do not care for the women," Joshi said in the national capital. (ANI)