In the wake of the alleged dalit atrocities and the recent statement made by a BJP leader Dayashankar Singh against her, Mayawati today spoke out in the Parliament. "It is good that the BJP took action against its leader and expelled him from the party, but it would have been better if the BJP had also filed an FIR against him," she said in Rajya Sabha.

"To the backward classes, I am like a Devi (Goddess). They are angry," said Ms Mayawati in Delhi, thanking the people for what she described as spontaneous protests against Dayashankar Singh. She said that she did not ask party workers to protest against the abusive remark by the BJP leader. "I haven't asked anyone to protest on the issue.

The language used by the BJP leader was so bad that people from weaker sections, especially Dalits, protested on their own. I can't stop them. But I want to assure them that I will continue to fight for their rights", the BSP chief said. Meanwhile Singh is now being searched for by the police across the state after Ms Mayawati's party lodged a case against him under laws including atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Tribes, insulting the modesty of a woman and promoting enmity. His brother has been detained for questioning about his whereabouts.