Probe into India leader attack

Ms Joshi has apologised for her comments Photos: Krishan Saith

Authorities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have announced an investigation into the burning of the house of a senior politician.

Local Congress party leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi's house was set on fire allegedly by supporters of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) last week.

Ms Joshi's house was attacked after she criticised the state chief minister Ms Mayawati, who heads a BSP government.

Ms Joshi was held for her remarks and released on bail over the weekend.

Ms Joshi had attacked the rape compensation policy of Ms Mayawati last week and said rape victims should offer to compensate the chief minister should she ever be raped herself.

Amid the furore, Ms Joshi was arrested for her comments, and her house in the state capital, was burned down.

Ms Joshi, who apologised for her remarks, was taken into to custody for two weeks. But she was granted bail by a court on Saturday.

Now the authorities in Uttar Pradesh say that the local criminal investigation department will investigate the attack on Ms Joshi's house.

The Congress party has condemned the attack, and said it should be investigated by India's top federal investigation agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said the criminal investigation department would carry out a "fair inquiry" into the incident, and punish the guilty.

The police said that a criminal case had been registered against Ms Joshi for allegedly "casteist" and derogatory remarks made against Ms Mayawati at a meeting of party workers.

Some television channels showed Ms Joshi saying that recipients of rape compensation "should throw the money back in Ms Mayawati's face and tell her that if you are raped, we will give you 10 million rupees".

Ms Mayawati is herself a Dalit (formerly "untouchable") and an icon to the lower castes. She is a powerful and controversial figure in India, correspondents say.

Ms Joshi was charged under a law which deems making "offensive" statements against individuals of lower castes and tribespeople an offence. Attacks on Ms Mayawati count because as a Dalit she is covered by the act.

Relations between the two parties have been tense ever since the Congress made major inroads in this politically crucial state - Uttar Pradesh has 85 MPs in the Indian parliament - during recent general elections.