Assange is insane: Indian Chief Minister

The chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Kumari Mayawati, has defended herself against the portrait painted of her in the leaked US diplomatic cables by calling WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange insane. She believes he needs to be sent to a mental asylum.

Speaking during a press conference, she claimed that "there is no iota of truth in the cable leaks" and that the cables are all "a blatant lie to tarnish the image of my government."

"He should be sent to a mental asylum by the country he belongs to and in case there is no place for him he should be sent to UP (Uttar Pradesh). We will put him in the Agra mental asylum," she said, reports the Times of India.

The cables definitely painted an unflattering portrait of Mayawati, stating that she once sent a private jet to pick up a new pair of sandals, and that she employs nine cooks— two to cook, seven to watch over them— and food tasters to protect her against poisoning attempts.

Assange accepted her offer, asking for the very jet that she had sent to pick up new shoes. "I would be happy to accept asylum, political asylum in India- a nation I love," he said. Assange, who is under house arrest in the UK, also offered to bring back British shoes for the leader.

However, Mayawati claims that she had no knowledge of the empty jet sent to get her new shoes. Instead, she claims that it was irresponsible for the TV channels to report these details of her personal life, allowing WikiLeaks to gain "cheap popularity." As far as the politicians commenting on the amount of cooks, Mayawati stated that she assumed they had to be washing dishes in her kitchen along with the cooks- otherwise there was no way for them to know these details of her household.

Mayawati, who has been criticized heavily for her excessive displays of wealth and power in one of India's poorest and most populous states, was referred to in the cable as a "virtually paranoid leader." The leak comes on the heels of a massive movement in India that calls for government reform against political corruption.