Lucknow: BSP on Thursday claimed that Election Commission decision of covering statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati and party symbol elephant is one-sided and
unjustified and was a violation of Article 14 of the
constitution.
BSP National General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said
that due to the decision taken on the memoranda of SP,
Congress and BJP, Dalits and backwards were feeling cheated.
"The decision is violation of Article 14 of the
constitution, which provides right of equality. Similar
decisions should be taken against other parties also", he said
in a letter to the EC.
"A number of BSP workers and supporters wanted to come
out on roads to protest the EC decision but BSP supremo
Mayawati has given them strict orders to them to maintain law
and order so that election process did not get affected",
Mishra pointed out.
BSP had expected that EC would hold free and fair
elections but its decision had demoralised the party, Mishra
said adding that had the EC taken unbiased decision on the
issue, BSP would have been given equal chance in the
elections.
"The statues installed in parks and memorials are in
welcome position with upside trunk and the BSP symbol elephant
has down trunk, which did not violate model code of conduct."
"The elephants--one installed in parks and memorials and
the party symbol do not have any similarity", he claimed
adding the statues of the elephant are installed in a number
of temples and government buildings.
Mishra said, "Even in Rastrapati Bhavan, North Block and
South Block elephant statues are there on upper parts of the
pillars and also above the Speakers' chair in Parliament".
If EC has objection on "our elephant", it should also
have an objection on SP symbol cycle, BJP's lotus and RLD's
handpump, Mishra added.
First Published: Thursday, January 12, 2012, 15:21