Lucknow/New Delhi: Making her first public appearance after last month’s drubbing in the Assembly polls, a combative Mayawati on Saturday warned the ruling Samajwadi Party of dire consequences if it altered, damaged or set up new structures at Dalit memorials and parks erected during her regime.
Unfazed by her threat, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said if the land near the statues can be used for building hospitals for women and children, no one will have any objections.
Mayawati, who has kept a low profile since her BSP was defeated by the SP in the UP Assembly polls, threatened that any attempt to make changes in Dalit memorials and parks could lead to a serious law and order crisis in the state and also in the country.
Using the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti to target her arch political rivals, she said, “The SP government should not indulge in any act which could create a problem in the country and their government could also face serious problem,” she said.
The former Chief Minister said, “The ruling SP should take a lesson from the BSP government which did not make any dent in the honour and prestige of the various parks and memorials set up by the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in the name of its ideologues and great men.”
In Delhi, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters that ‘no statues will be disturbed. It will remain as it is.’
“We never said we will break the statues. I made this clear on the very first day in office,” said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Chief Minister accused the erstwhile Mayawati government of disregarding environmental concerns while setting up statues and other structures at then Noida Park.
“We never spoke of demolishing any memorial,” he said, adding, “no one will have any objections if hospital for women and children are constructed in the vacant areas”. (PTI)
