Reacting sharply to a Congress statement of preventing Mayawati from touring India, BSP State President and Cabinet Minister Swami Prasad Maurya termed the statement as "highly irresponsible and unconstitutional".

"Such statement will provoke BSP and its workers unnecessarily and should be avoided by Congress to avoid its repercussions. Prior to making such unthoughtful statement Congress leaders should understand that this country was not the property of Congress," Maurya said in a statement issued in Lucknow.

"They (Congressmen) should also remember that Mayawati symbolised the pride of crores of downtrodden people of this country and this section would not tolerate any dent in her honour," he said.

Maurya said that Congress people were frustrated due to their shrinking mass base all over the country.

Refuting allegations by Congress regarding atrocities on Dalits, poor and deprived sections, Maurya said that before raising finger on the state Government, the party should consider conditions of these castes in the states ruled by it.

He said out of 20 factories in Rae Bareli only nine were functional and 11 had been closed due to which about 192 acres of land became waste.

Likewise in Amethi seven factories had been closed and 862 acre land was being wasted. The residents of Rae Bareli knew well that Congress party was doing dirty politics, he added.