Belligerent Mayawati continues to attack Sonia Gandhi over Joshi's controversial remarks

Lucknow, July 17 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday continued to attack on Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the latter's silence on Uttar Pradesh Congress unit chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi's offensive remarks on her.

Addressing a press conference at the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) head quarters here, Mayawati lashed out at Gandhi for not doing much about the issue, and for not taking any action against Joshi so far.

She also said that her party would not disrupt proceeding the Parliament over this issue, and that Parliament would function normally, especially after it witnessed an uproar over the Joshi issue yesterday. She said Joshi's remarks could never be forgiven.

Reacting to Mayawati's statement, the Congress said no further action is required against Joshi.

It said Joshi had apologized for her remarks against Mayawati.

Meanwhile, a district court in Moradabad today postponed the hearing of Joshi's bail plea after lawyers went on a strike.

The court was scheduled to hear Joshi's second application for bail. An earlier application for bail had been rejected.

Joshi, 60, had approached the court after Chief Judicial Magistrate K K Shrivastava had turned down her bail plea and remanded her to judicial custody for 14 days in Moradabad.

Police arrested Joshi on Thursday and a local court had sent her to judicial remand for making remarks on Wednesday against Mayawati in an issue related to the rape and murder of some Dalit girls in Uttar Pradesh.

She was charged under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Mayawati.

Joshi, however, has denied having said anything to offend Mayawati or Dalits. (ANI)