Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president, Mayawati, on Saturday, said that the parks and memorials that were built in the state of Uttar Pradesh, while she was the chief minister, honour great men from among the oppressed Dalits and OBCs. She further added that these have become famous tourist spots, generating revenue for the government.
“Marvellous Sthals/Memorials/Parks etc. built to honour hitherto ignored great Sants, Gurus and great men born in deprived and oppressed Dalit and OBCs are new grand identity and tourist attraction of Uttar Pradesh which gives regular income to government,” she tweeted.
In another tweet, ostensibly directed at various news reports about the observations of the Supreme Court of India, and also at the BJP, she said, “Humble request to media please don’t distort oral observation of Hon’ble court. Sure to get justice in this matter also. Media and BJP leaders please stop kite flying.”
A Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, had on Friday, in oral observations, said that the former UP chief minister should pay back the public money spent on erecting statues of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, herself, and BSP symbol, the elephant, at public places.
“Madam Mayawati, reimburse to the exchequer the public money you have spent on the elephants,” the bench said.
“This is our tentative view that Madam Mayawati reimburse the public exchequer all the money spent on these elephants,” Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said on Friday while hearing a plea seeking recovery of the amount spent on statues in memorial parks in UP.
The next hearing is on April 2.