Updated on Monday, August 24, 2009, 19:09 IST Tags:Uttar Pradesh, statue erection, Kanshi Ram, Mayawati
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh government's stand that statues of Chief Minister Mayawati was installed to fulfil the wishes of her mentor Kanshi Ram was on Monday opposed in the Supreme Court on the ground that tax payers money cannot be used for implementing the wish of a private person.
"They (state government) are implementing the will of a private person. They have said it in the affidavit. Can tax payers money be used for fulfiling the Will of a private party?" the advocates, who have filed the PIL on the issue, contended before a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan.
The advocates said Rs 5000 crore of public money cannot be allowed to be misused for glorifying Mayawati. They said that during the pendency of the petition two more statues of the BSP supremo had been installed in a park in Noida, adjoining Delhi.
The affidavit filed by Uttar Pradesh government has said Mayawati's statues were installed only to fulfil the wishes of Kanshi Ram who willed that wherever his statues were installed, the statues of Mayawati, "his only heir, must also be installed."
Senior advocates Harish Salve and S C Mishra, appearing for the state government, said the PIL was not maintainable and the budgetary allocation for the projects were made after discussion in the Assembly.
"The House had passed the resolution. There is no violation of law," they said.
The PIL filed by advocates Ravi Kant and Sukumar has accused Uttar Pradesh government of misusing public funds for the installation of statues of Mayawati, Kanshi Ram, other Dalit leaders and that of elephants-- BSP's election symbol-- at parks in Lucknow and Noida.
Responding to the notice issued to it, the state government has in an affidavit said it is a wrong notion that only statues of dead persons can be installed.
The state government expressed dismay over the manner in which the hype is being created over installation of statues of Mayawati and quoted examples of superstar Amitabh Bachchan and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee whose statues were erected.
"It is a wrong notion that only statues of dead persons can be installed. There is no dearth of examples, whether in the country or abroad, about statues of living persons. In the Indian context, one can easily refer to A B Vajpayee Institute of Technology and Management, Gwalior, and Amitabh Bachchan Institute at Saifai, Etawah," the state government said in an affidavit.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh government's stand that statues of Chief Minister Mayawati was installed to fulfil the wishes of her mentor Kanshi The advocates said Rs 5000 crore of public money cannot be allowed to be misused for glorifying Mayawati. They said that during the pendency of the petition two more statues of the BSP supremo had been installed in a park in Noida, adjoining Delhi.
The affidavit filed by Uttar Pradesh government has said Mayawati's statues were installed only to fulfil the wishes of Kanshi Ram who willed that wherever his statues were installed, the statues of Mayawati, "his only heir, must also be installed."
Senior advocates Harish Salve and S C Mishra, appearing for the state government, said the PIL was not maintainable and the budgetary allocation for the projects were made after discussion in the Assembly.
"The House had passed the resolution. There is no violation of law," they said.
The PIL filed by advocates Ravi Kant and Sukumar has accused Uttar Pradesh government of misusing public funds for the installation of statues of Mayawati, Kanshi Ram, other Dalit leaders and that of elephants-- BSP's election symbol-- at parks in Lucknow and Noida.
Responding to the notice issued to it, the state government has in an affidavit said it is a wrong notion that only statues of dead persons can be installed.
The state government expressed dismay over the manner in which the hype is being created over installation of statues of Mayawati and quoted examples of superstar Amitabh Bachchan and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee whose statues were erected.
"It is a wrong notion that only statues of dead persons can be installed. There is no dearth of examples, whether in the country or abroad, about statues of living persons. In the Indian context, one can easily refer to A B Vajpayee Institute of Technology and Management, Gwalior, and Amitabh Bachchan Institute at Saifai, Etawah," the state government said in an affidavit.
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