Later, four domestic aides were taken away in a police vehicle. 'I managed to hide in one of the toilets,' said Munni.

According to photographs of the vandalism, a BSP legislator led the attackers.

R.A. Shankhdhar, an advocate who lives across the road, told IANS: 'I woke up on account of loud slogan shouting. I found flames from the house. Within minutes the cars parked inside the compound were ablaze. One of the vehicles (a Maruti van) belonged to me.'

As she was taken into custody, Joshi denied offending Mayawati or Dalits.

'I had simply sought to draw the people's attention to Mayawati's (financial) dole to every Dalit rape victim was ironical as the police chief was spending lakhs on the helicopter ride he undertakes to hand over that paltry amount to the victim,' Joshi told reporters.

'My intention was to remind Mayawati that being a woman she should realise that a paltry monetary compensation cannot make up for what a woman loses on account of rape,' she added.

Joshi added that she had already apologised for the remarks. 'As soon as I found that my statement had been twisted, I made it a point to offer my apologies.'

Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party also reacted strongly to the vandalism in Lucknow and Joshi's arrest.

BJP MP Maneka Gandhi accused the BSP of using the police as its personal force. 'I have never seen a situation like this anywhere in India, ever.' She urged the central government to dismiss the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh and impose President's Rule.

Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Prasad Yadav also denounced the BSP.

The incidents in Uttar Pradesh found their echo in both houses of parliament, which were adjourned as MPs from rival camps were on their feet shouting slogans against one another.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned once and then for the day. The Lok Sabha was adjourned thrice, until 2 in the afternoon, after Speaker Meira Kumar failed to restore order.