Statues and parks honour the great, but oppressed, tweeted Mayawati, a day after the Supreme Court observed that the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister may have to deposit public money used for erecting statues of herself and elephants, the Bahujan Samaj Party’s symbol.
As Mayawati pointed out, an SC bench made it clear that it was a tentative view, and the matter would take some time for hearing.
Petition Filed in 2009
The bench was hearing the petition filed by an advocate who had contended that public money cannot be utilised for creating own statues and for propagating the 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.”Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi
The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna, posted the matter for final hearing on 2 April.
"We will have it for final disposal on April 2," the bench said.
The petition was filed by advocate Ravi Kant in 2009 – and on Friday the matter came after quite a long time.
Earlier, the apex court had passed various interim orders and directions in which the issue of environmental concern was also raised.
Further, there was also a direction to the Election Commission that during the election the elephants built in the park have to be covered.
The petitioner has alleged that crores of rupees was used from the state budget for 2008-09 to glorify Mayawati who was then the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
(With PTI inputs)
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