On the same night, her house in Lucknow was set on fire, allegedly by a group of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers.

The state Congress chief was released from jail July 18 after being granted interim bail. Judgement on her petition seeking a CBI inquiry into the attack on her house was reserved by Allahabad High Court Friday.

Vijay Bahadur Singh said his party was not shy of facing a CBI inquiry and alleged that the Congress was trying to make it a political issue.

'They want to envelop the real issue under a political cover.'

The Maywati government has order a Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department probe into the incident.

Alleging that Joshi's remarks against Mayawati were an 'insult to womanhood', Vijay Bahadur Singh said Joshi, Digvijay Singh and other top Congress leaders have admitted that the remark was a 'blunder'.