Lucknow: Two days after the Election Commission's directive, work on covering the statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her party symbol is yet to commence in the state capital and in Noida.
Though some statues were covered in haste by employees in Noida on Sunday, the orders for the same arrived only last evening, officials said on Monday.
"Draping of statues as directed by the Election Commission would be completed in stipulated period given by January 11 at 5 pm," said Hridesh Kumar, District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar.
There are around 52 elephant statues and two Mayawati statues at Noida national Dalit prernasthal. At Gautam Budha University too there are 10 statues of elephants and one of Mayawati, Kumar said.
Authorities in Lucknow also said they have received the order, and draping would start from Tuesday and will be done in stipulated period given by the commission. However, it has not begun yet. "The work of draping statues will not be executed on Monday and could start from Tuesday," Lucknow district magistrate and district electoral officer Anil Sagar told. He said that efforts would be made to complete the work within the deadline fixed by the Election Commission.
Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said that orders have been given and it has to be complied by the DEO. "January 15 deadline has been fixed. DEO can take time for logistics, but if they can do it immediately then they should proceed," Sinha said.
The statues of Bahujan Samaj Party's symbol, elephant, constructed under a fountain in Samajik Parivartan Sthal at Gomti Nagar in Lucknow were covered on Sunday, though some BSP activists allegedly removed the veil within minutes. The EC had on Saturday ordered that all statues of Mayawati and her party symbol installed at several places in UP be covered until the Assembly poll were over in the state.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi had said the directive should be implemented "at the earliest" as the matter related to the model code of conduct. The ruling BSP has termed the order as "one-sided and against natural justice".
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