'Prostitution slur': Mayawati asks for BJP leader Dayashankar's arrest, hints at violent retribution

Expressing her ire at Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Dayashankar Singh for comparing her to a prostitute, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday said it reflected frustration on the part of the BJP.

"These kind of derogatory statements show that BJP is frustrated with the growing public support for BSP," Mayawati told ANI outside Parliament. Singh had yesterday passed a shocking remark while trying to highlight the rampant corruption in the allocation of tickets in the BSP.

"Mayawati does not have any standing in UP. She has shattered the dreams of Kanshi Ram. Look at the way Mayawati is selling tickets, even a prostitute keeps her commitment. But look at a leader like Mayawati who sells a ticket for Rs. 1 crore, then after some time if another is willing to pay Rs. 2 crore, she will give the ticket to him. Mayawati has become worse than a prostitute," he said in Mhow. The leader later apologised for his comments.

Mayawati, earlier in the day, hit out at Centre over atrocities on the Dalits community in Una district in Gujarat. She criticised BJP for playing politics over the issue. Both houses witnessed an uproar over the issue earlier.

Mayawati said in the Parliament that, " There are war of thoughts and ideas in the House, but never have I used derogatory words against anyone ever.The nation will not forgive BJP for this, especially with what is going in Gujarat. " He virtually issued a veiled threat to the Modi government saying, "Dayashankar Singh should be arrested otherwise, if in response to this people get violent, it will not be on my conscience."

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley strongly condemned the statement saying, " I should tell Mayawati ji that the party shares her grief over this issue, I will look into this matter, we stand with her". In response, BSP Supremo said that she is grateful that Arun Jaitley and other leaders in the House have supported her.