Mall Avenue bungalow a memorial, ready to vacate another one: Maya
NEW STAND Former chief minister urges Yogi to direct estate department to issue fresh notice, says any move to change the status of the memorial will lead to annoyance among her party workers
LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday made it clear to the state government that she will vacate the bungalow on 13A Mall Avenue only after the state government makes proper arrangements for its maintenance and security as it is a memorial to party founder Kanshi Ram.
In a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the BSP chief said the estate department’s letter, directing her to vacate the 13A Mall bungalow in consonance with a Supreme Court order was wrong. The bungalow was converted into a memorial to Kanshi Ram on January 13, 2011 and named Sri Kanshiram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal, she said.
Rather, she was ready to vacate the bungalow on 6 Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg that was allotted to her as the official residence of the former chief minister on December 23, 2011 in view of her security and other requirements, she said.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national general secretary SC Mishra and the party’s leader in the legislative assembly Lalji Verma handed over the letter to the chief minister.
She said only a small portion of Shri Kanshiram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal was used by her for residential purpose.
The maintenance, sanitation and security of the memorial were done by the private employees deputed by the BSP, she said. She was staying in a few rooms of the bungalow for proper maintenance of the memorial, she said.
Drawing the chief minister’s attention to an earlier cabinet order, Mayawati said the rooms vacated by her could not be allotted to another person or used for another purpose as the state cabinet, in its order on January 13, 2011, had approved the proposal of the state government that in case she vacated the residential portion of the bungalow, it would be merged with a memorial.
The BSP chief also warned the state government of the party supporters’ annoyance if the earlier government order was amended. The memorial had a library, museum, several artifacts and murals, she said. If the material was vandalised, it may lead to a law and order problem across the country, she said.
Earlier, a statue installed near Ambedkar Memorial was damaged by anti- social elements, she said.
The BSP was ready to bear expenses on the maintenance and security of the memorial if the state government wanted it, she said.
Mayawati urged the chief minister to direct the estate department to issue a fresh notice, asking her to vacate the bungalow on 6 Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg (instead of the one at 13A Mall Avenue).
Earlier, BSP leaders had said that Mayawati will shift to the bungalow on 9 Mall Avenue that she purchased on November 3, 2010.
In the affidavit submitted during the Rajya Sabha election in 2012, Mayawati has stated that the value of the 9 Mall Avenue bungalow was Rs 16 crore.
The new stand taken by the BSP chief over vacating the bungalow at 13A Mall Avenue had confounded officials, a senior state government officer said.
The BSP chief’s request had been sent to the law department for its opinion, the officer said.