Mayawati has to deposit money spent on her statues, party symbol : Supreme Court
New Delhi, Feb 8 (IBNS) :The Supreme Court on Friday said Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati should reimburse public money that was spent on installing statues of herself and elephants, the party’s symbol, in Lucknow and Noida.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Gogoi, said that the matter will be heard for a final hearing on April 2, The Indian Express reported.
The Mayawati government had built multiple Dalit memorials, including statues of BSP founder Kanshi Ram and BSP’s election symbol ‘elephant’, when she was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh between 2007 and 2012. The memorials and statues were built at a cost of over Rs 2,600 crore in Lucknow, Noida, and a few other places in the state.
The Supreme Court bench was hearing a petition filed by an advocate who had contended that public money cannot be utilised for building own statues and for propagating a political party.
“We are of the tentative view that Mayawati has to deposit the public money spent on her statues and party symbol to the state exchequer,” the bench also comprising of justices Deepka Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna said. The bench made it clear the tentative view was expressed by it as the matter will take some time for hearing. “We will have it for final disposal on April 2,” the bench said.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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