UP Chief Minister Mayawati tells Rahul Gandhi, Set your own house in order Mayawati

Continuing the verbal sparring with the Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Saturday hit out at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for his comments against her government, saying the Congress should "first set its own house in order before accusing others".

On Rahul Gandhi's support for the Congress' state chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was arrested and sent to judicial custody for her remark against the chief minister, Mayawati said it would have been better if Rahul Gandhi had commented instead on Joshi's book criticising Congress leaders.

"It would have been better if Rahul had commented on the 'pavitra' (holy) book in which Joshi has made disparaging remarks against senior Congress leaders," Mayawati said.

The book, "Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna", on the life of Joshi's father and co-authored by her, reportedly has passages attacking former prime minister Indira Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

Targetting "yuvraj" Rahul Gandhi for criticising the state's development, Mayawati alleged the Congress leader had directed senior officers of the central government to distribute booklets that contain development projects carried out by her government.

"After independence, the Congress ruled UP for nearly 40 years, but in terms of development we have done much more than the Congress in our two years," she said.