Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav had earlier asked for 2 years to vacate their government bungalows
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav have begun vacating their official residences in Lucknow, complying with the orders of the Supreme Court.
This comes just days after the father-son duo had moved the Supreme Court against the order that asks former chief ministers to vacate their official bungalows, and
asked for two-year's time.
On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav had challenged the media to "
find him a place". It's not yet clear where the Yadavs will move to but sources say they may stay at a government guest house for a few days and then move to a set of three villas at a private colony in Lucknow.
"We are ready to vacate but we need more time, both
netaji (Mulayam Singh) and I don't have any place to live in Lucknow. If you can find a place for us let us know," the former chief minister snapped.
In his petition before the Supreme Court, Mulayam Singh had asked for time citing his age and ill-health. Akhilesh Yadav had listed security and his children's education as reasons why he should be allowed to hang on to the bungalow he was entitled to as chief minister.
Yesterday, claiming compliance with the Supreme Court, Bahujan Samaj Party chief
Mayawati vacated a government house in Lucknow but held on to a second sprawling bungalow which her party says is a memorial to their founder Kanshi Ram.
The UP government served notice to Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and four other former chief ministers earlier this month, asking them to vacate their official homes in 15 days as ordered by the Supreme Court.
The top court has cancelled changes to the law that enabled former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh to live in official homes for life, saying that these were "based on irrelevant and legally unacceptable considerations, unsupported by any constitutional sanctity."