Rita’s agnipariksha began the day she inadvertently uttered a statement that suposedly caused grief to the Chief Minister Mayawati. In spite of expressing regret for her statement and in spite of an expression of regret from Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rita Bahuguna Joshi was arrested under several acts and lodged in Moradabad jail. Within seconds, she had become the most well-known face in Uttar Pradesh politics after Mulayam and Mayawati. At last, in a state where personality cults rules the voter, the UPCC chief was now at par with the BSP and SP chiefs.

Her popularity soared even higher as the common man’s heart went out to her, when residence in Lucknow was set on fire by unidentified arsonists. What was most surprising was that this bungalow was in a high-security zone which also covers the Vidhan Sabha, Mall Avenue, and the residence of CM Mayawati. The area has a high deployment of policemen and it is close to the residences of several IAS and IPS officers in Raj Bhavan Colony. Rita's house was surrounded by a mob soon after her arrest almost 400km away.

In those flames, the image of the BSP took a beating forever. Today Dalits, non-Dalits, Congressmen, SP workers, even BSP workers, all, in their heart of hearts, support Rita. All except those who were involved in the arson at her residence and obviously did it for love of money or proximity to power. Only an inquiry will reveal the real truth, and as Sriprakash Jaiswal and Digvijay Singh said, only a CBI inquiry can bring out the truth. In my opinion, it does not take any inquiry today, to say who is the most popular leader in Uttar Pradesh today after Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. It is Rita Bahuguna. In fact the Congress is rocking in UP.

All that Mayawati has achieved from this exercise, is to give Rita tremendous publicity.