Mayawati criticizes Election Commission for draping her party symbol

Lucknow, Jan 15 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday said the Election Commission's order to cover statues of the Bahujan Samaj Party's poll symbol 'elephant' and those of her own was 'one-sided' and biased.

Mayawati, who interacted with the media here on the occasion of her 56th birthday, said: "For the first time in the country, only in Uttar Pradesh a one sided decision has been taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to cloak the structures of elephants (symbol of the Bahujan Samaj Party) ahead of polls."

"Also the covering of statutes of late Kanshi Ram that were constructed to pay respect to his will and my sculptures by the ECI without giving a chance to BSP to react is being seen as a wrong caste based and anti-Dalit move by people across the country who are associated with the movement of our party and non political think tanks," she added.

Mayawati further said that the Election Commission should also take decision of cloaking statues erected by the ruling Congress party and regional Samajwadi party (SP) in Chandigarh and other states.

"The ECI move has caused great discomfort to the party and its activists. Our party believes that if a person's statue is created before or after his demise regardless of whether its funding is private or by government; the effect of the statues remain alike during the polls," said Mayawati.

"The BSP would never forgive the Congress party and Samajwadi party for the aggressive campaign and support lent to cloaking of statues of late Kanshi Ram and me," she added.

Ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission decided to cover the statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and her party symbol, the "elephant", erected at parks and other public places across the state in recent years. (ANI)