Around the same time her home in Lucknow was set on fire, though Mayawati has denied BSP activists were involved.

Joshi was sent to Moradabad jail Thursday morning on 14 days' judicial custody.

Gandhi said the state government was not working for the poor and 'these (Joshi's) are right sentiments. Wherever we go, the government does not work in Uttar Pradesh.'

Asked whether the Congress would take disciplinary action against Joshi, Gandhi replied: 'I am a general secretary of Congress... As far as disciplinary action against Joshi is concerned, it is the business of the Congress president and senior party leaders.'

Continuing his attack against the state government, he condemned the police action against the public in Sultanpur district, who were baton-charged during their protests against erratic power supply this week.

Gandhi said: 'Police just thrashed the public protesting against the poor power supply... a normal rational government does not function this way. What was their fault? They are ordinary people, not politicians.'

The 38-year-old Congress leader asserted that his party would ensure that money disbursed by the central government to Uttar Pradesh for programmes meant for the poor reached the target beneficiaries.

'It is our job to ensure that our programmes from Delhi are delivered to the poor people... The Congress is going to ensure that. We don't appreciate the fact that we send huge sums of money and it is wasted.'

Criticising Mayawati for installing her statues and setting up memorials to herself in the state, Gandhi said the state government was misusing funds meant for development of the state.

'It's the priority of the Uttar Pradesh government to install statues. I don't agree with this,' said Gandhi.