Around Rs 680 crore is estimated to have been spent on the 88-acre Noida memorial opened by Mayawati in 2011. (AFP photo)
Highlights
- No more memorials when I come to power, focus on development: BSP chief
- UP lokayukta alleged BSP spent 'crores' of public funds on memorials
- Mayawati's promise seen as part of campaign to return to power next year
Mayawati, immortalized in dozens of statues in sprawling memorials in Uttar Pradesh including one near Delhi, declared today: "No more memorials when I come to power."
The four-time chief minister, accused by her critics of brazen self-promotion, made the dramatic pledge during a public meeting in Lucknow. It is the first of her promises to voters as she campaigns for a comeback in the Uttar Pradesh polls next year.
"When I come to power I will not build memorials, because my work is over. Now I will only focus on development," the 60-year-old said at the meeting to mark the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution and a Dalit icon.
While she spoke Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "development" language, she also took digs at him, questioning his "sudden love" for Dalits.
"Modi wants to build small memorials in Ambedkar's name but his memorials will pale in comparison to our Ambedkar memorial in Lucknow," she sneered.
Mayawati's memorials were pitched by her rivals as the towering symbol of her extravagance at the cost of the taxpayer and extraordinary megalomania for a self-professed champion of Dalits or the most underprivileged.
In 2012, Mayawati's BSP or Bahujan Samaj Party lost power in Uttar Pradesh in a haze of corruption allegations. Two years later in the national election, her party was routed again despite her attempts to reach out to sections beyond Dalits - who comprise a fifth of UP.
Mayawati's government reportedly spent around 680 crore on the 88-acre Noida memorial opened in 2011. The memorial, meant to honour Dalit icons, has multiple life-size statues of Mayawati, her mentor Kanshi Ram and BR Ambedkar among others.
Three years ago, the Lokayukta or anti-corruption ombudsman in Uttar Pradesh alleged that Rs. 1,400 crore was spent out of public money for the construction of the memorials during Mayawati's regime. A similar memorial in Lucknow is spread across 98 acres. Mayawati also commissioned the Kanshi Ram Memorial and the Eco Park, which cover an area of 228 acres.