Lucknow: Two days after the Election
Commission`s directive, work on covering the statues of Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her party symbol is yet to
commence in the state capital and in Noida.
Though some statues were covered in haste by employees
in Noida yesterday, the orders for the same arrived only last
evening, officials said on Monday.
"Draping of statues as directed by the Election
Commission would be completed in stipulated period given by
January 11 at 5 pm," said Hridesh Kumar, District Magistrate
of Gautam Budh Nagar.
There are around 52 elephant statues and two Mayawati
statues at Noida national Dalit prernasthal. At Gautam Budha
University too there are 10 statues of elephants and one of
Mayawati, Kumar said.
Authorities in Lucknow also said they have received the
order, and draping would start from tomorrow and will be done
in stipulated period given by the commission. However, it has
not begun yet.
"The work of draping statues will not be executed today
and could start from tomorrow," Lucknow district magistrate
and district electoral officer Anil Sagar told PTI.
He said that efforts would be made to complete the work
within the deadline fixed by the EC.
Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said that orders
have been given and it has to be complied by the DEO.
"January 15 deadline has been fixed. DEO can take time
for logistics, but if they can do it immediately then they
should proceed," Sinha said.
The statues of BSP`s symbol, elephant, constructed under a
fountain in Samajik Parivartan Sthal at Gomti Nagar in Lucknow
were covered yesterday, though some BSP activists allegedly
removed the veil within minutes.
The EC had on Saturday ordered that all statues of
Mayawati and her party symbol installed at several places in
UP be covered until the Assembly poll were over in the state.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi had said the
directive should be implemented "at the earliest" as the
matter related to the model code of conduct.
The ruling BSP has termed the order as "one-sided and
against natural justice".
PTI
