Mayawati statues: PIL moved before HC challenging EC's order

A PIL challenging the Election Commission's order to cover statues of Mayawati and BSP's election symbol elephant was today filed in the Allahabad High Court even as authorities started draping the statues in Greater Noida though the work was suspended in Lucknow.

In Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi dismissed criticism against its decision, calling it "ill-informed".

"I am surprised this (EC order) has been taken as something unusual. There is a model code of conduct which says there should be a level-playing field for all candidates and parties," he told NDTV.

In Allahabad, Dheeraj Singh, a social activist, filed a PIL challenging the EC's order. The public interest litigation contended that the elephant represented venerable Hindu deity Lord Ganesha and draping its statues could hurt religious sentiments.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing on January 11.

In Greater Noida, work on draping statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and elephant this afternoon and the exercise was carried out at a number of places, including two parks in Badalpur village and Gautam Buddha University, a senior officer said.

In all 36 statues of elephant and two of CM have been covered in Greater Noida, District Magistrate Gautam Buddha Nagar Hridesh Kumar said adding that similar directives have been issued to Noida authority.

In Lucknow, though a symbolic exercise was carried out yesterday, the work remain suspended today.

Authorities in Lucknow had also said they have received the order, and draping would start from tomorrow and will be done in the stipulated period given by the commission.

"The work of draping statues was not carried out today and could start from tomorrow," Lucknow district magistrate and district electoral officer Anil Sagar told PTI.

Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said that orders have been given and it has to be complied by the DEOs in Lucknow anD Gautam Buddha Nagar.

"January 11 deadline has been fixed. DEOs can take time for logistics, but if they can do it immediately then they should proceed," Sinha said.

He said that as per the provision, statues of election symbol of a political party and those of living leaders must be covered.

"The EC has asked the two DEOs to carry out the exercise and inform about the action taken," Sinha said.

Last Saturday, the EC ordered that all statues of Mayawati and her party symbol elephant installed at various places in the state be covered until the assembly poll process was over in the state.

The ruling BSP had termed the order as "one-sided and against natural justice".

Former CEC T S Krishnamurthy said, the EC decision "may look strange and some people may even call it idotic, but unfortunately this is a consequence opf distorted democrcy that we have."

He recalled that in 2004 Lok Sabha polls, hoardings of the Prime Minister was ordered to be removed from the National Highways to provide a level-playing field.