india

Updated: Apr 03, 2019 08:08 IST

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday defended the construction of memorials and installation of her statues along with that of her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s election symbol – elephant – in parks when she ruled the state saying they represented the people’s will.

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, Mayawati said there was nothing new about the statues and that public money was spent on them in accordance with the law.

Memorial parks featuring life-sized marble and sandstone statues of elephants, Dalit icons and herself were built during the tenure of four-time chief minister Mayawati, whose last term in office ended in 2012.

“Funds for construction of the said memorials and installation of statues have been sanctioned through budgetary allocation after approval of the budget by the State Legislature and the passing of relevant Appropriation Act by the State Legislature in accordance with the Constitution of India and rules,” Mayawati said in the affidavit.

She questioned why the use of public funds by other parties for similar causes had not prompted questions and cited the example of a statue of Vallabhbhai Patel that PM Modi inaugurated last year in Gujarat. The statue is nearly twice the height of New York’s Statue of Liberty. She also referred statues of leaders like former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in Lucknow.

The Supreme Court had on February 8 said that it was of the tentative view that Mayawati should deposit the public money utilised for building the statues to the exchequer. It was hearing a petition against the use of public money for building statues and publicising any political party.

Lawyer Ravi Kant had filed the petition in 2009 alleging that crores of rupees were used from the state budget for 2008-09 to glorify Mayawati. He has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged misuse of public money.

In her affidavit, Mayawati maintained the expenditure incurred for construction of memorials and installation of the statutes forms part of the Appropriation Act passed by the assembly after discussion and voting. She said the memorials and her statues and that of other leaders were “intended to promote values and ideals of various saints, gurus, social reformers and leaders among the public”. She denied it was done for self-promotion or glorification.

Mayawati sought the dismissal of Kant’s petition calling it politically motivated. Mayawati added she has dedicated her entire life for the upliftment of the downtrodden society. She said for achieving the same, she also took a decision to remain unmarried.

She maintained that construction of memorials and installation of statues in India was not a new phenomenon. Mayawati pointed out that during the Congress rule, the Centre and state agencies installed statues of various Congress leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao across the country with public funds.

“The memorials, sthals and parks have been constructed by the state government in the memory of social reformers and their statues have been installed to pay tributes to them. The memorials have been developed for the public to draw inspiration from the lives of great personalities of social reformers and leaders who devoted their lives for the upliftment of Dalit, poor, oppressed and downtrodden sections of the society,” she submitted.

“Elephants standing in welcome posture is part of Indian culture and the Election Commission has already decided on the issue,’’ she said. She was referring to the commission’s January 2012 order that the statues of Mayawati and elephants be covered during the assembly election.