Statue issue: Allahabad HC asks UP govt to file reply on PIL

The Mayawati government was today asked by the Allahabad High Court to file by July 10 its reply on a PIL challenging installation of statues of Dalit leaders here.

Justices Rajeev Sharma and Satish Chandra of the Lucknow bench of the High Court passed the order on the PIL filed by a local lawyer, Colonel (retd) Satyaveer Singh Yadav.

Former advocate general of Uttar Pradesh Virendra Bhatia, who appeared for Yadav, contended that the installation of the statues was in violation of an earlier High Court order of July 1, 2005.

He said that as per the order, no statue more than three feet in height could be installed at road crossings and junctions, particularly those on the national highways.

He contended that the statues, however, have been installed on main roads here which were in violation of the order and, thus, illegal.

The PIL was strongly opposed by the state government.

Chief minister Mayawati had on June 25 unveiled 15 statues nine days ahead of schedule. The Supreme Court has already sought an explanation from the UP government for allegedly spending crores of rupees from the state exchequer.