Lucknow: Claiming compliance with a Supreme Court order, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati vacated a government house here, but is holding on to a second sprawling bungalow, which her party says is a memorial to their founder Kanshi Ram.
Mayawati’s personal secretary, Mewa Lal Gautam, on Wednesday said she has vacated the bungalow on 6, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, which was allotted to her as former chief minister.
However, the staff of State Estate Department refused to take the possession of the bungalow, after which Gautam wrote to Estate Officer and stated that the BSP chief had vacated the bungalow. The keys of the bungalow were sent to the Estate Officer through speed post.
Speaking to News18, Mewa Lal Gautam said, “The copy of the electricity bill that she had deposited Rs 73,69,487 power dues was also sent to the Estate Officer. The letter and keys were received at the Estate Department on Wednesday. The principal secretary Estate Department and principal secretary, Chief Minister had been also informed that BSP chief had vacated the bungalow. The security and maintenance of the bungalow now rests with the Estate Department.”
The Supreme Court had on May 7 said former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office.
Following the order, the UP government on May 17 issued notices to Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav to vacate the bungalows.
The BSP, however, appears to suggest that the notice Mayawati got is for the wrong bungalow.
The Bahujan Samaj Party said recently that the UP government notice asked Mayawati to vacate 13A, Mall Avenue, and not the bungalow on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg.
Last week, a BSP delegation met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, claiming that the Mall Avenue bungalow had been converted into a Kanshi Ram memorial in 2011, and Mayawati occupied only two rooms in it.
On May 21, after it had received the vacation notice, the BSP also installed a board at that bungalow, terming it 'Shri Kanshi Ram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal'.
Among the former chief ministers, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh have indicated their readiness to vacate the official bungalows.
But the others have expressed reluctance to give them up.
N D Tiwari's wife Ujjwala Tiwari has sought more time, pleading that her husband was in the "last stages" of his life.
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav have written to the estate department seeking two more years at their official residences and have moved the Supreme Court on this.
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