SC Dismisses 15-Year-Old PIL Against Mayawati Over Statue Expenditure

New Delhi January 16, 2025: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a 2009 public interest litigation (PIL) that questioned the use of public funds for erecting statues of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati and the party’s symbol, the elephant, in various public spaces across Uttar Pradesh. The decision came as a significant relief for Mayawati, coinciding with her 69th birthday.

The PIL, which was filed during Mayawati’s tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, accused her of misusing taxpayer money, alleging that more than ₹1,000 crore was spent on installing statues of herself and the elephant symbol in public parks, including locations in Noida and Lucknow. The petition sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry, the removal of the statues, and punitive actions against the BSP, including freezing its election symbol.

However, a bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma dismissed the petition, stating that the matter had become irrelevant due to the passage of time and other developments. The court pointed out that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had already issued directives in 2016 against the use of public funds for political purposes, ensuring that such incidents would not occur in the future.

The bench further emphasized that destroying the statues would require additional public expenditure, which would not serve the public interest. “Destruction of these structures would require additional public money. You want them to be razed, but that would not serve the public interest,” the bench remarked during the proceedings.

In 2012, the controversy had escalated when the Election Commission ordered that Mayawati’s statues and the elephant symbol be covered ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to prevent any undue influence on the voters. This was followed by a suggestion in 2019 from the Supreme Court that Mayawati reimburse the public funds spent on the statues, though no further action was taken at that time.

Mayawati defended the installations, arguing that the statues were not meant for self-promotion but to honor social reformers and leaders who played a significant role in empowering marginalized communities. She maintained that the state legislature had approved the installations as a mark of respect for these leaders and their contributions to society.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the PIL effectively ends a decade-long debate regarding the alleged misuse of public funds for political purposes. The case had been a focal point of political controversy, with the opposition accusing Mayawati of using taxpayer money for self-aggrandizement. Despite the criticism, the court’s ruling puts an end to the legal challenges surrounding the statues, which have become a symbol of Mayawati’s tenure as Chief Minister.

With this judgment, the matter surrounding the statues, which had garnered widespread attention over the years, has finally been laid to rest. The ruling marks the end of a lengthy judicial process that began over a decade ago, offering Mayawati and the BSP much-needed relief from a long-standing controversy.