Mayawati has to deposit money used for erecting her statues, BSP's symbol elephant: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court Friday said it was of the tentative view that BSP chief Mayawati has to deposit public money used for erecting statues of herself and elephants, the party's symbol, at parks in Lucknow and Noida to the state exchequer.

The remarks were made by a bench hearing a 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," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.

The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna, posted the matter for final hearing on April 2.

The bench made it clear the tentative view was expressed by it as the matter would take some time for hearing.

"We will have it for final disposal on April 2," the bench said.

The petition on the issue 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.

The state government headed by Mayawati had built the memorials, statues and parks at a cost of over Rs 2,600 crore in Lucknow, Noida and few other places in Uttar Pradesh.

Recently, the Enforcement Directorate has also started looking into alleged irregularities of over Rs 111 crore in construction of memorials in the state during BSP supremo Mayawati's tenure.

(PTI Inputs)