Supreme Court Clears Mayawati in Elephant Statue Fund Controversy

The Supreme Court has dismissed a long-standing petition against Mayawati, filed in 2009, concerning the use of over Rs 2,000 crore from Uttar Pradesh's budget for installing elephant statues and memorials during her term as chief minister. The court noted that the petition's issues had become obsolete.

In a significant relief for BSP leader Mayawati, the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an old petition challenging her use of public funds for personal glorification while serving as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The petition dated back to 2009 and alleged that over Rs 2,000 crore was spent from the state's budget on elephant statues and Mayawati's likenesses.

The bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma concluded that most of the petition's requests were irrelevant now, noting the Election Commission's existing guidelines and the completion of the statue installations.

Mayawati defended the spending by asserting it represented the people's will and was constitutionally approved. Citing similar actions by previous governments and referencing other state-funded statues, she argued the installations were politically motivated criticisms.

(With inputs from agencies.)