BSP supremo Mayawati has got a big relief from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, by rejecting a PIL, settled an old dispute against Mayawati. This case is of 2009, when Mayawati was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. At that time, he was accused of using government money to make statues of himself and the party’s election symbol ‘elephant’. The issue of misuse of public money was raised in this case.
What is the whole matter?
During 2008–09 and 2009–10, the Mayawati government installed its statues and statues of the BSP’s election symbol ‘elephant’ at various monuments in Lucknow and Noida. Raising questions on this, a lawyer had filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The petition claimed that more than Rs 2,000 crore of government money was spent on these statues. It was alleged that this was misuse of public money and violation of Election Commission guidelines.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, during the hearing of the case, said that the issue has now come within the ambit of the Election Commission’s guidelines. The statues have been installed, and the question of removing them does not arise.
Mayawati’s side
Mayawati, defending herself in this entire matter, said in the court that making statues represents the wishes of the public. He stressed that other governments have also installed statues of their leaders. He gave the example of Congress, which installed statues of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
Mayawati also said that examples like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat and the statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya show that making statues of leaders and historical icons is a part of Indian politics. He demanded to dismiss this petition calling it politically motivated.
Supreme Court decision
The Supreme Court rejected the petition saying that the construction of the statues has now become public property and it is not possible to remove it. The court also said that the Election Commission has already issued guidelines on this issue. The court made it clear that the case is now being closed.
This decision of the Supreme Court is a big victory for Mayawati. This not only brought him relief, but it also confirmed that the allegations against him were politically motivated.
Center of political controversies: Mayawati and statues
This is not the first time that Mayawati has been in controversies regarding her idols. His critics have been calling him a narcissistic leader, while his supporters consider it a symbol of pride for the Dalit community. Mayawati believes that these statues not only represent her party but also reflect the position of the Dalit community in the society.
Despite criticism of his initiative, he has repeatedly stressed that his aim is to bring recognition and respect to the deprived sections of the society.
debate on economic aspects
The opposition repeatedly raised the issue whether it is right to use public money in this manner? He called it a waste of government treasury. On the other hand, Mayawati and her supporters argue that like other projects, this too was in the public interest.
However, this case has raised the question of how to control such expenses in future. The Election Commission and other institutions need to issue more clear guidelines on this.
Impact on Mayawati’s image
This decision has strengthened Mayawati’s political image. His supporters are seeing this as a big victory. This decision also shows how true or false the allegations made by political opponents were.
This decision can create a strong base for BSP in future. Especially in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this decision can create an environment in favor of Mayawati.
