More Mayawati statues at Dalit memorials in Uttar Pradesh

BSP supremo Mayawati's desire to get her statues installed during her lifetime was once again on display at the 'Bahujan Prerna Sthal' (a memorial of Dalit icons) here.

At least three statues of Mayawati have been constructed and were being given final touches before being installed at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in the state capital.

The public came to know about it when the covers were withdrawn from the statues on Wednesday. All the statues show Mayawati standing with a handbag.

BSP leaders, preferring anonymity, however, said that no new statues were being installed and that the three statues had been renovated. They refused to elaborate. Sources in the BSP, however, said that the statues were new.

The Bahujan Prerna Sthal was constructed in 2005 by the BSP.

During her tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister (2007-2012), Mayawati installed her statues at several places in the state capital. One of them was placed inside the Shakuntala Mishra University for Differently Abled. She also installed the statue of BSP founder Kanshiram at a busy thoroughfare in the city.

The opposition had then accused Mayawati with spending public money on the construction of statues. The BSP supremo, however, claimed that it was her party which paid the bills.

Mayawati, in an apparent bid to woo the Brahmins ahead of the next assembly elections, recently promised to install the statue of the community icon Bhagwan Parashuram.