Maya must pay for jumbo statues: SC
New Delhi: In a strong oral observation, the Supreme Court Friday said BSP chief Mayawati should deposit public money used for erecting statues of herself and elephants, the party's symbol, at public places in Uttar Pradesh to the state exchequer.
The remarks were made by the apex court which was hearing a petition filed in 2009 by an advocate who had alleged that about Rs 2,000 crore was used from the state budget for 2008-09 and 2009-10, when Mayawati was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, for stalling her statues and BSP's symbol at different places.
It was contended that public money could not be utilised for creating own statues and for propagating the political party.
On May 29, 2009, the court had issued show cause notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and Mayawati for using the public money for installing her statues and party's symbol at parks in Lucknow and Noida, adjacent to the national capital.
When the matter came up for hearing on Friday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said: "Mayawati, pay all the money back. We are of the view that Mayawati should reimburse all the money she spent."
The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna said: "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 made it clear that a tentative view was expressed by it as the matter would take some time for the hearing. "We will have it for final disposal on April 2."
Senior advocate S C Mishra, appearing for Mayawati and the BSP, requested the bench to hear the matter in May. However, the bench told Mishra, who is also the party's Rajya Sabha MP, that it was fixing a date of April 2 as it will require detail consideration.
During the pendency of the PIL, the apex court on February 22, 2010, had asked the Election Commission to examine the plea for removal of
installation of these symbols from public places during the 2012 assembly polls.
EC on January 7, 2012, had ordered that statues of Mayawati and elephants be covered during the state Assembly election. The poll panel had said the measure was taken with the idea that no one should get political mileage.
