'He will also meet people who the police baton charged during their demonstrations against erratic power supply,' said a Congress leader.

Joshi was arrested after midnight Wednesday in Ghaziabad for giving a speech against Mayawati that the chief minister said was insulting to her as a woman and a Dalit. Joshi has been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

A mob shouting pro-Mayawati slogans later attacked and torched Joshi's house in Lucknow. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has denied it was involved in the attack.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has not reacted publicly to Joshi's remarks but has reportedly told her MPs from Uttar Pradesh that what Joshi said was 'completely unacceptable'.