Mayawati asks BJP leaders, media to not distort oral observation of Supreme Court

LUCKNOW: A day after the Supreme Court said BSP chief Mayawati may have to reimburse the public money spent on erecting her statues, she asked BJP leaders and the media not to “distort” the observation of the court.nnThe final hearing in the case against the former UP chief minister is on April 2.nn

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.

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 9, 2019

nn”Humble request to the media please don’t distort oral observation of the Honorable court. Sure to get justice in this matter also. Media and BJP leaders please stop kite flying,” she said in a tweet.nnMayawati said marvellous memorials and parks built to honour “ignored” gurus and sants born in Dalit and OBC communities are a new grand identity and tourist attractions in the state.nnThe Bahujan Samaj Party supremo said the party’s viewpoint will be placed before the court.nnOn Friday, the apex court had 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.”nnThe remarks were made by the court which was hearing a petition filed in 2009 by an advocate who had alleged that hundreds of crores of rupees were 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.nnIt was contended that public money cannot be utilised for creating own statues and for propagating the political party.nnSpeaking on the issue, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who in the past has lashed out at Mayawati for getting her statues erected with the state’s money, Friday went soft on his alliance partner.nn”I don’t have full information about this. The court might have made some observations. BSP’s lawyers will put their side in the court,” he told reporters.nnThe SP and the BSP recently announced their alliance for Uttar Pradesh in the coming Lok Sabha elections, putting aside their once bitter rivalry.nnSource: Press Trust of India