The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday issued notice to the state government to explain its position over the alleged squandering of government funds in the name of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.
The bench comprising justices Pradeep Kant and Rituraj Awasthi passed the order after hearing a PIL filed by senior journalist and editor of a local Hindi daily JN Shukla.
The petitioner has contended that massive government funds were spent on advertisements given out by the UP information department to mark Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary (March 15) and death anniversary (October 9) every year since Mayawati took over as UP chief minister in 2007.
This year the advertisements were published in other states as well at a time when the Election Commission’s code of conduct was in force in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, the petition has asserted.
Shukla has argued that Kanshi Ram did not enjoy the status which deserved such honours. “He was simply a political leader and president of a political party. He was neither a former prime minister or president of India, nor even a freedom fighter,” Shukla asserted while arguing in person.
The petitioner also pointed out that government funds running into crores had been squandered on statues, memorials and parks named after Kanshi Ram. “This is a sheer wastage of public monies,” the petitioner asserted. Several government schemes, including one providing low cost housing for poor, has also been named after Mayawati’s mentor, he added.
In several projects, sculptures of elephant (the BSP’s election symbol) had been used which would give undue and unfair advantage to the ruling party during elections, Shukla argued.
The petitioner has contended this was a clear example of corruption as public resources were being used for private gains.
“This amounts to party propaganda in favour of the ruling BSP at the cost of the state exchequer. As such, the entire amount spent on these advertisements and projects should be recovered from the BSP,” he argued.
