Mayawati basher Dayashankar Singh evades arrest

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday said that suspended BJP state vice-president Dayashankar Singh left for an 'unknown location' when the cops arrived at his residence to arrest him for his derogatory slur on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati.

Balia Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Jha said that their efforts to locate and nab Singh would continue.

"Our officers had visited Dayashankar Singh's place to arrest him, but he was not at home. According to the information we have, he left for some unknown place this morning. Our efforts will continue, whenever we find out about his whereabouts we will contact the local police and initiate action," Jha told ANI.

"Looking at the anger among the people of a certain party, we have deployed policemen outside his residence. There are other members of the family residing there, we do not want any untoward incident to take place," he added.

Meanwhile, the BSP workers staged protests across several cities of the nation over Singh's derogatory remark and demanded his arrest.

The BJP yesterday expelled Dayashankar Singh from the party for six years.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday expressed 'personal regret' in Parliament over Singh's remark.

"It is not right and I condemn the use of this word. And if a person has said this, we will investigate. I express personal regret. I associate with your dignity and stand with you," Jaitley told Mayawati in the Rajya Sabha.

The BSP chief on her part thanked Jaitley and other leaders in the Rajya Sabha for supporting her on this matter.

"There are war of thoughts and ideas in the House, but never have I used derogatory words against anyone ever," Mayawati said.

"Dayashankar Singh should be arrested otherwise if in response to this the people get violent, it will not be on my conscience," she added.