Mayawati claims her house is Kanshi Ram memorial

Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati caught the Yogi Adityanath government unawares on Monday when she got her staff to put up a board at her official residence claiming it was “Kanshi Ram Vishram Sthal”.

The board appeared on Monday morning at 13 Mall Avenue which is known as her residence, allotted to her as former chief minister.

The state government has asked her and five other former chief ministers to vacate their official bungalows as per the Supreme Court directive.

Sources in the BSP said that the bungalow had initially been allotted for Kanshi Ram Yaadgar Vishram Sthal in estate department records and was never designated as a former chief minister’s bungalow.

If this is true, then the bungalow does not come within the purview of the eviction order. Besides, if it is finally vacated, it would become a major issue for dalits. Besides, Ms Mayawati is said to be emotionally attached to the bungalow which is witness to her rise in politics.

Even as Ms Mayawati played the trump card, she also ordered renovation of a private bungalow located at a stone’s throw at 9 Mall Avenue. The bungalow initially belonged to the UP government, but was purchased by Ms Mayawati when its lease ended in 2010 at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

The bungalow has been made with red sandstones in a similar style of architecture that is the hallmark of all memorials built by the BSP regime.

Meanwhile, in a related development, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has sent a letter to the estate department, asking for two years’ time to vacate his bungalow. Mr Yadav has cited security reasons and said that he does not have any alternative accommodation where he can stay with his family and security personnel.

Rajnath Singh, on the other hand, is shifting to his private residence, while Kalyan Singh will be shifting his belonging to his grandson Sandeep Singh’s residence. Mr Sandeep Singh is a minister in the Yogi government.

The six chief ministers who have been asked to vacate their official bungalows include SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati and Union home minister Rajnath Singh and former chief ministers Narain Dutt Tiwari, Kalyan Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.