Lucknow, July 17 - The hearing on the bail application of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is in judicial custody on charges of denigrating Dalits, has been deferred for Saturday, officials said Friday.

Lawyers, who are on strike called by the Uttar Pradesh Bar Association, disrupted the court proceedings in Moradabad, 250 km from here, and the additional district judge was forced to list the case for Saturday, they added.

Lawyers in Uttar Pradesh are on strike in protest against alleged police atrocities in Gonda district.

Joshi was Thursday sent to Moradabad jail on 14-day judicial custody on the charge of insulting Chief Minister Mayawati. She was booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for her remarks against Mayawati.