Congress spokesman Subodh Srivastava, said the appointment vindicated the party's stand. He said that Intezar Abidi was one of the accused in the torching of the UPCC chief's house. He also alleged that the incident had been sponsored by the State. Srivastava claimed that the chief minister would soon announce a cabinet berth for BSP MLA Jitendra Kumar Singh (aka Babloo), who is also prime accused in the arson attack. He said that the Congress would continue to hold agitations to expose the prevailing jungle raj in the State. Srivastava had earlier claimed that the district police, on the directives of the Chief Minister, had put five innocent youth behind bars to shield the real culprits. In a complaint lodged with the Hussainganj police, Srivastava claimed that BSP MLA Jitendra Singh, along with BSP leader Intezar Abidi and over 150 activists, made a well-organised attack on Rita Bahuguna-Joshi's house with the intention to killing her and others. They damaged her residential property and later torched the house, he added.

He also claimed that two workers and six members of a family, including a four-year-old boy, were picked up by local police. Srivastava said that, in order to shield the culprits, the station house officer of Hussainganj police station, BR Saroj, picked up Guddu Yadav, Shiv Kumar Singh and Inder Singh (all residents of Neelmatha in Cantonment), Zameer Khan (resident of Nai Basti in Hussainganj) and Susajit Kumar Singh (Unnao). Meanwhile, UPCC Chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi has said that the CB CID probe was just an eyewash. “The Congress wants no less than a CBI probe into the incidents of July 15 when my house was set on fire by hooligans under state patronage.” Digvijay Singh, who is in charge of UP affairs for the Congress Party, said that his party would not rest till a CBI probe was ordered into the July 15 incidents.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh, said that since Chief Minister Mayawati was committed to an impartial probe, her government had ordered a CB-CID probe into the July 15 incident when the UPCC chief’s house was burgled and set on fire. “The decision to hand over the probe to CB-CID was taken at a high-level meeting, presided over by the Chief Minister,” Singh told the media persons. Singh said, though the CB-CID was not given any specific deadline to complete investigation, it had been directed to give its report at the earliest. “The Chief Minister wants to assure the political parties that those found guilty in setting Bahuguna’s residence on fire on July 15 will not be spared,” he said.

Opposition parties have also been demanding a CBI probe into the incident, after electronic channels beamed pictures of police standing as mute spectators to the whole episode of arson and vandalism at Joshi’s house. BSP MLA Jitendra Kumar Singh, was also seen leading the mob of allegedly BSP workers. Some workers were seen carrying jerry cans of petrol which were used to set the house on fire. “The probe has been ordered to prove the commitment of the state government to go above the party politics and reach the depth of the incident,” he added. The cabinet secretary also said, the government had always opted for an impartial inquiry into all incidents and even Mayawati had taken strict action against errant party MLAs and MPs whenever they were found indulging in anti-social activities.

When asked whether the BSP MLA involved in the incident would be punished, he reiterated that the probe would take everything into consideration. “ Whosoever, be it BSP men or Congress workers, involved in the incident, they will not be spared’’, he said. The plain speak of Singh, however, did not deter the Congress leaders as they pressed for a CBI probe into the matter. “I apologise for what I said. The issue I raised was right but I agree it is a debatable one,” Joshi said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government was very insensitive. “The probe should be conducted by the CBI,” she said. Joshi accepted that she felt embarrassed after making those remarks but her intention was not to hurt any individual or caste.

Joshi also said she was speaking on a women-related issue and was trying to evoke sensitivity in a woman chief minister.