Mayawati
Encyclopedia
Mayawati (born 15 January 1956) is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
, India
. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party
, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. An icon for millions of India's Dalits, who were oppressed by the Hindu
upper castes for centuries, she is often referred to as Behen-ji, which means sister.
Mayawati's rise from humble beginnings has been called a "miracle of democracy" by P. V. Narasimha Rao
, former Prime Minister of India. In 1993 she formed a coalition with the Samajwadi Party
and emerged, at 39, the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and the first Dalit woman Chief Minister in India. In 1997 and in 2002, she was Chief Minister in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party
, the second time for a full term. In two of these coalitions, she withdrew her support on 29 August 2003 halfway through the term.
Mayawati's tenure has attracted considerable controversy. She is now India's richest Chief Minister. The rise in her personal wealth and that of her party are described by critics as indicators of corruption. Acts such as pulling down a stadium to build a monument to leaders of her party, including herself, are seen as whimsical and arbitrary, and her style has been compared to "running a fiefdom".
. She was born in New Delhi
at Shrimati Sucheta Kriplani Hospital
. The family belonged to the Jatav
subcaste of the Chamar
community, at the upper end of the scheduled castes. The "family's small income" was spent on sending the sons to private schools while the daughters went to "low-performing government schools".
Mayawati was a good student and did three degrees – a Bachelors of Arts and an LL.B. (Law) from Kalindi Women's College under the University of Delhi
, B. Tech . Subsequently, she did her B.Ed
from VMLG College, Ghaziabad. She was working as a teacher in Inderpuri JJ Colony, Delhi, and studying for the Indian Administrative Services exams, when Dalit politician Kanshi Ram
came to their house in 1977. According to biographer Ajoy Bose, Kanshi Ram said,
"I can make you such a big leader one day that not one but a whole row of IAS officers will line up for your orders." She was part of Kanshi Ram's team when he founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
in 1984. In 1989 she was elected to the parliament from Bijnor
.
At Kanshi Ram's funeral ceremonies in 2006, Mayawati said they had both been following Buddhist traditions and customs. Her act of performing the last rites
of Kanshi Ram (traditionally done by a male heir) was an instance of their views against gender discrimination
. She has indicated that she may formally convert to Buddhism
at some point.
Lok Sabha
(Lower House) seat in the Muzaffarnagar district
in 1984, and then again for the Lok Sabha seats of Bijnor
in 1985 and Haridwar
in 1987. In 1989 she was elected for the Lok Sabha seat of Bijnor, with a total of 183,189 votes.
Although BSP did not win, the electoral experience led to considerable activity for Mayawati over the next five years, as she worked with Mahsood Ahmed and other organisers. In the 1989 election, the party won 9% of the popular vote and 13 seats. It won 11 seats in the 1991 election. Because the Dalits are widely spread over the state, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati then adopted a policy of attracting other groups, which continues today.
Mayawati won election to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989, from Bijnor. In 1995, while a member of the Rajya Sabha
(Upper House), she became a Chief Minister in a short-lived coalition government, and validated her position by winning from two constituencies in 1996. She was again Chief Minister for a short period in 1997, and then for a somewhat longer term in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party
from 2002 to 2003. Before that in 2001 her mentor, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Kanshi Ram, named her as his successor.
Mayawati has said in an interview that she has no time for family life or romantic relationships because she wants to focus on her political career and this is why she remains unmarried.
s, Thakur
s, Muslim
s, and members of other backward classes
. These people voted for a Dalit party for the first time, partly because BSP had offered seats to people from these communities. The campaign was accompanied by a colourful slogan: Haathi nahin, Ganesh hain, Brahma
, Vishnu
Mahesh
Hain: "The elephant (BSP Logo) is really the Lord Ganesha
, the trinity of gods rolled into one". Her new slogan invited everyone, including the higher castes, to "come ride the elephant", her party's election symbol.
In 2007 Mayawati's government began a major crackdown on irregularities in the recruitment process of police officers recruited during the previous Mulayam Singh government. So far 17,868 policemen have lost their jobs for irregularities in the recruitment process and 25 IPS officers were suspended for their involvement in corruption while recruiting the police constables. Mayawati is instituting reforms to introduce transparency into the recruiting process, including posting results of selection exams online.
As part of her social reform plans she advocates reservation for the poor among upper castes in addition to reservation for weaker sections of society. Reservation in India
is a system whereby a percentage of government positions and seats in all universities are reserved for persons in backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes.
against her. This led to discovery of assets disproportionate to her known income.
In June 2007 The UP Governor T.V. Rajeswar has said that there isn't enough evidence against UP Chief Minister Mayawati for her prosecution in the Taj Corridor case.
Governor Rajeswar in his 23-page order refused to grant sanction to prosecute Mayawati in the taj Corridor scam, Governor Rajeswar in his 23-page order said: 'the fact that the Mission Management Board, consisting of officers of both the State and the Central Government, regularly met and discussed the project and the fact that even a sum of Rs. 17 crore was spent through the Central Government public sector undertaking, NPCC, all go to show that the serious offences with which Mayawati and the Minister were charged do not stand scrutiny..'
Advocates challenged the Governor's T.V. Rajeswar decision in court, but failed as the Supreme Court rejected plea of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and by refusing to direct state Governor T V Rajeshwar for granting sanction to prosecute her, and effectively ending the Taj corridor case before going to trial.
of Rupees 26 crores, ranking among the top 20 taxpayers in the country. Earlier the CBI
had filed a case against her for owning assets disproportionate to her known sources of income. Mayawati described the CBI investigation against her as illegal. Her party asserts that her income comes from gifts and small contributions made by party workers and supporters.
On August 3, 2011 Delhi High court has dismissed center’s appeal against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati stating that "she(Mayawati) has fully discharged her obligations by disclosing the identities of all of her donors, the gifts had been donated by her supporters”.
The central government decided not to file an appeal in Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s decision to uphold an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) favoring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, in Disproportionate assets case.
, Jyotirao Phule, Shahuji Maharaj, Periyar Ramasami, Bhimrao Ambedkar, BSP founder Kanshi Ram
, and of herself. She claims that the expenditure on statues and symbols of Dalit Icons was required because the past governments did not show respect towards Dalit icons, in whose memory nothing was ever built. She has spent over Rs 2,500 crore on projects of five parks and memorials like B R Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal
and Manyavar Kanshiram Smarak Sthal, built in the name of Bhimrao Ambedkar, Ramabai Ambedkar, and Kanshi Ram in Lucknow between 2007 and 2009. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
reported that Rs. 15 Crore was spent on memorials. The Supreme Court of India admitted a Public Interest Litigation
questioning this expenditure. In February 2010, Mayawati's government approved a plan for a special police force to protect the statues. She feared that her political opponents might demolish the statues. There are incidents of vandalism of statues of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in India.
In October 2011 Mayawati inaugurated the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden
, built at a cost of 685 crores. Since the memorial also features her own statues, Mayawati was accused by the Indian National Congress
of wasting the tax-payers' money. The BSP dismissed the allegations, and stated that her statues were erected because Kanshi Ram's will requested that his statues should be constructed next to those of the current President of BSP. Mayawati accused the Congress of being "anti-Dalit".
loaned India funds for development, and Mayawati was to manage projects with this money in UP. The projects were preplanned and on schedule, but the Mayawati government made changes which put the project behind schedule. The World Bank sent a 1 August 2002 letter of complaint to India's central government stating, "We have now learnt that project managers have been replaced within three weeks of assuming office. The project coordinator of the Diversified Agriculture Support Project has been changed twice in quick succession and at the moment there is no project coordinator. In the forestry project, numerous changes have been made over the past six months ... Such developments do not augur well for these time-bound projects that require consistently good leadership."
detailing the opinions of American civil servants asserted that Mayawati ran all governmental decisions through her small group of advisors and that she employed food taster
s for security.
The diplomatic cables also alleged that Mayawati sent a private jet to Mumbai to retrieve some sandals. Mayawati responded to the cables by saying that the statements they presented were baseless.
Mayawati's public meetings are attended by large audiences, using slogans such as "Kanshi Ram ka mission Adhoora; karegi Behen Mayawati poora" (Kanshi Ram's unfulfilled mission will be completed by Mayawati), "Behenji tum sangharsh karo; hum tumhare saath hain" (Sister, go ahead with your struggle; we are with you).
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party
Bahujan Samaj Party
The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...
, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. An icon for millions of India's Dalits, who were oppressed by the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
upper castes for centuries, she is often referred to as Behen-ji, which means sister.
Mayawati's rise from humble beginnings has been called a "miracle of democracy" by P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
, former Prime Minister of India. In 1993 she formed a coalition with the Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party is a political party in India. It is based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It describes itself as a democratic socialist party...
and emerged, at 39, the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and the first Dalit woman Chief Minister in India. In 1997 and in 2002, she was Chief Minister in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
, the second time for a full term. In two of these coalitions, she withdrew her support on 29 August 2003 halfway through the term.
Mayawati's tenure has attracted considerable controversy. She is now India's richest Chief Minister. The rise in her personal wealth and that of her party are described by critics as indicators of corruption. Acts such as pulling down a stadium to build a monument to leaders of her party, including herself, are seen as whimsical and arbitrary, and her style has been compared to "running a fiefdom".
Personal life
Mayawati's father Prabhu Das was a post office employee at Badalpur, Gautam Buddha NagarGautam Buddha Nagar District
Gautam Budh Nagar district aka GB Nagar, is a largely suburban district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, part of Greater Delhi region. NOIDA is the administrative headquarters of the district...
. She was born in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
at Shrimati Sucheta Kriplani Hospital
Lady Hardinge Medical College
Lady Hardinge Medical College is a Medical College for women located near Connaught Plane in New Delhi, India. Established in 1916, it became part of the Delhi University, Faculty of Medical Sciences in 1950. For the teaching and training of medical students, it has two hospitals, Smt...
. The family belonged to the Jatav
Jatav
Jatav , also called Jatia, Jatba in the Jammu region Jatoi, is the largest tribe of the Chamar caste in India.-Origin and etymology:...
subcaste of the Chamar
Chamar
Chamar |tanner]]"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas...
community, at the upper end of the scheduled castes. The "family's small income" was spent on sending the sons to private schools while the daughters went to "low-performing government schools".
Mayawati was a good student and did three degrees – a Bachelors of Arts and an LL.B. (Law) from Kalindi Women's College under the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
, B. Tech . Subsequently, she did her B.Ed
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
from VMLG College, Ghaziabad. She was working as a teacher in Inderpuri JJ Colony, Delhi, and studying for the Indian Administrative Services exams, when Dalit politician Kanshi Ram
Kanshi Ram
Kanshi Ram was an Indian politician. He founded the Bahujan Samaj Party , a political party with the stated goal of serving the traditionally lower castes of Indian society . He transferred the BSP's leadership to Mayawati...
came to their house in 1977. According to biographer Ajoy Bose, Kanshi Ram said,
"I can make you such a big leader one day that not one but a whole row of IAS officers will line up for your orders." She was part of Kanshi Ram's team when he founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
Bahujan Samaj Party
The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...
in 1984. In 1989 she was elected to the parliament from Bijnor
Bijnor
Bijnor variously spelt as Bijnaur and Bijnour, is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India...
.
At Kanshi Ram's funeral ceremonies in 2006, Mayawati said they had both been following Buddhist traditions and customs. Her act of performing the last rites
Antyesti
Antyesti or Hindu funeral rites, also referred to as Antim Sanskar, is an important Sanskara, sacrament of Hindu society. Extensive texts of such rites are available, particularly in the Garuda Purana. There is wide inconsistency in theory and practice, and the procedures differ from place to place...
of Kanshi Ram (traditionally done by a male heir) was an instance of their views against gender discrimination
Sexism in India
Sexism in India refers to beliefs or attitudes in India that one gender or sex is inferior to, less competent, or less valuable than the other. Discrimination and violence against women is prevalent, and sexual harassment at the workplace and lack of education continue to be identified as major...
. She has indicated that she may formally convert to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
at some point.
Political career
In 1984 Kanshi Ram founded the BSP as a party to represent the Dalits and Buddhists. Mayawati was a key member of this organisation. BSP fielded Mayawati for its first election campaign from the KairanaKairana
Kairana is a historical city and a municipal board and tehsil in Muzaffarnagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Kairana is located at . It has an average elevation of 242 metres .It is also near of river Yamuna...
Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
(Lower House) seat in the Muzaffarnagar district
Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The town of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters.-Communication:...
in 1984, and then again for the Lok Sabha seats of Bijnor
Bijnor
Bijnor variously spelt as Bijnaur and Bijnour, is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India...
in 1985 and Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
in 1987. In 1989 she was elected for the Lok Sabha seat of Bijnor, with a total of 183,189 votes.
Although BSP did not win, the electoral experience led to considerable activity for Mayawati over the next five years, as she worked with Mahsood Ahmed and other organisers. In the 1989 election, the party won 9% of the popular vote and 13 seats. It won 11 seats in the 1991 election. Because the Dalits are widely spread over the state, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati then adopted a policy of attracting other groups, which continues today.
Mayawati won election to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989, from Bijnor. In 1995, while a member of the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
(Upper House), she became a Chief Minister in a short-lived coalition government, and validated her position by winning from two constituencies in 1996. She was again Chief Minister for a short period in 1997, and then for a somewhat longer term in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
from 2002 to 2003. Before that in 2001 her mentor, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Kanshi Ram, named her as his successor.
Mayawati has said in an interview that she has no time for family life or romantic relationships because she wants to focus on her political career and this is why she remains unmarried.
2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections
Contrary to some poll predictions, BSP won a majority in the 2007 elections, the first such majority since 1991. Mayawati attracted support from BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s, Thakur
Thakur (Indian title)
Thakur is an Indian feudal title in several Indian languages, literally meaning "lord". A Thikana is the state or estate of a Thakur. A Thakurani is the wife of a Thakur...
s, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, and members of other backward classes
Other Backward Class
The Central Government of India classifies some of its citizens based on their social and economic condition as Scheduled Caste , Scheduled Tribe , and Other Backward Class . The OBC list presented by the commission is dynamic and will change from time to time depending on social, educational and...
. These people voted for a Dalit party for the first time, partly because BSP had offered seats to people from these communities. The campaign was accompanied by a colourful slogan: Haathi nahin, Ganesh hain, Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
Mahesh
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
Hain: "The elephant (BSP Logo) is really the Lord Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
, the trinity of gods rolled into one". Her new slogan invited everyone, including the higher castes, to "come ride the elephant", her party's election symbol.
Chief Minister, 2007
Mayawati was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time on 13 May 2007. She announced an agenda that focused on providing social justice to the weaker sections of society and providing employment instead of distributing money to the unemployed. Her slogan was to make "Uttar Pradesh" ("Northern Province") into "Uttam Pradesh" ("Excellent Province").In 2007 Mayawati's government began a major crackdown on irregularities in the recruitment process of police officers recruited during the previous Mulayam Singh government. So far 17,868 policemen have lost their jobs for irregularities in the recruitment process and 25 IPS officers were suspended for their involvement in corruption while recruiting the police constables. Mayawati is instituting reforms to introduce transparency into the recruiting process, including posting results of selection exams online.
As part of her social reform plans she advocates reservation for the poor among upper castes in addition to reservation for weaker sections of society. Reservation in India
Reservation in India
Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well being of socially backward and underrepresented communities of citizens in India. There are laws in place, wherein a certain percentage of total available slots in Jobs and Education are set aside for people from...
is a system whereby a percentage of government positions and seats in all universities are reserved for persons in backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes.
2009 parliamentary elections
The BSP won 20 seats in Lok Sabha from the state of Uttar Pradesh in the 2009 elections. The BSP obtained the highest percentage (27. 42%) of votes in Uttar Pradesh for any one political party. It was in third position in terms of national polling percentage (6.17%).Taj corridor case
In 2003 the CBI raided Mayawati's residence in relation to the Taj corridor case, two days after it had filed an First Information ReportFirst Information Report
A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India, Pakistan and Japan when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First...
against her. This led to discovery of assets disproportionate to her known income.
In June 2007 The UP Governor T.V. Rajeswar has said that there isn't enough evidence against UP Chief Minister Mayawati for her prosecution in the Taj Corridor case.
Governor Rajeswar in his 23-page order refused to grant sanction to prosecute Mayawati in the taj Corridor scam, Governor Rajeswar in his 23-page order said: 'the fact that the Mission Management Board, consisting of officers of both the State and the Central Government, regularly met and discussed the project and the fact that even a sum of Rs. 17 crore was spent through the Central Government public sector undertaking, NPCC, all go to show that the serious offences with which Mayawati and the Minister were charged do not stand scrutiny..'
Advocates challenged the Governor's T.V. Rajeswar decision in court, but failed as the Supreme Court rejected plea of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and by refusing to direct state Governor T V Rajeshwar for granting sanction to prosecute her, and effectively ending the Taj corridor case before going to trial.
Birthdays
Mayawati's past birthdays have been major media events, where she appeared laden with diamonds. Her supporters have declared her birthday as Jan Kalyankari Diwas (People's Welfare Day). In 2009 the day was marked by the announcement of welfare schemes targeted towards poor and downtrodden people of the state. Her 2010 birthday was marked by the launch of programmes with a value of over Rs 7,312 crores.Disproportionate assets case
Mayawati's assets run into millions of dollars, with several properties to her name. In the 2007–08 assessment year, Mayawati paid an income taxIncome tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
of Rupees 26 crores, ranking among the top 20 taxpayers in the country. Earlier the CBI
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
had filed a case against her for owning assets disproportionate to her known sources of income. Mayawati described the CBI investigation against her as illegal. Her party asserts that her income comes from gifts and small contributions made by party workers and supporters.
On August 3, 2011 Delhi High court has dismissed center’s appeal against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati stating that "she(Mayawati) has fully discharged her obligations by disclosing the identities of all of her donors, the gifts had been donated by her supporters”.
The central government decided not to file an appeal in Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s decision to uphold an order of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) favoring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, in Disproportionate assets case.
Statues
In her tenures as a Chief Minister, Mayawati erected number of statues of Buddhist and Dalit icons like Gautam Buddha, Ravidas, Narayana GuruNarayana Guru
Sri Nārāyana Guru , also known as Sree Nārāyana Guru Swami, was a Hindu saint, sadhuand social reformer of India. The Guru was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from backward communities like the Ezhavas faced much social injustices in the caste-ridden Kerala society...
, Jyotirao Phule, Shahuji Maharaj, Periyar Ramasami, Bhimrao Ambedkar, BSP founder Kanshi Ram
Kanshi Ram
Kanshi Ram was an Indian politician. He founded the Bahujan Samaj Party , a political party with the stated goal of serving the traditionally lower castes of Indian society . He transferred the BSP's leadership to Mayawati...
, and of herself. She claims that the expenditure on statues and symbols of Dalit Icons was required because the past governments did not show respect towards Dalit icons, in whose memory nothing was ever built. She has spent over Rs 2,500 crore on projects of five parks and memorials like B R Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal
Ambedkar Memorial
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal is a memorial dedicate to the glory of Phule, Narayan Guru, Shahuji Maharaj, Bhimrao Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and other Dalit icons. It is the world's first of its kind which is dedicated to Dalit leaders. It stands for the symbol for the Dalit...
and Manyavar Kanshiram Smarak Sthal, built in the name of Bhimrao Ambedkar, Ramabai Ambedkar, and Kanshi Ram in Lucknow between 2007 and 2009. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Comptroller and Auditor General of India
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is an authority, established by the Constitution of India, who audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government. The CAG is...
reported that Rs. 15 Crore was spent on memorials. The Supreme Court of India admitted a Public Interest Litigation
Public interest litigation
In Indian law, Public Interest Litigation OR जनहित याचिका means litigation for the protection of the public interest. It is litigation introduced in a court of law, not by the aggrieved party but by the court itself or by any other private party...
questioning this expenditure. In February 2010, Mayawati's government approved a plan for a special police force to protect the statues. She feared that her political opponents might demolish the statues. There are incidents of vandalism of statues of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in India.
In October 2011 Mayawati inaugurated the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden
Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden
The Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden is a memorial in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned by Mayawati, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and inaugurated on 14 October 2011....
, built at a cost of 685 crores. Since the memorial also features her own statues, Mayawati was accused by the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
of wasting the tax-payers' money. The BSP dismissed the allegations, and stated that her statues were erected because Kanshi Ram's will requested that his statues should be constructed next to those of the current President of BSP. Mayawati accused the Congress of being "anti-Dalit".
World Bank criticism
The World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
loaned India funds for development, and Mayawati was to manage projects with this money in UP. The projects were preplanned and on schedule, but the Mayawati government made changes which put the project behind schedule. The World Bank sent a 1 August 2002 letter of complaint to India's central government stating, "We have now learnt that project managers have been replaced within three weeks of assuming office. The project coordinator of the Diversified Agriculture Support Project has been changed twice in quick succession and at the moment there is no project coordinator. In the forestry project, numerous changes have been made over the past six months ... Such developments do not augur well for these time-bound projects that require consistently good leadership."
WikiLeaks allegations
Diplomatic cables published in 2011 through WikiLeaksWikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
detailing the opinions of American civil servants asserted that Mayawati ran all governmental decisions through her small group of advisors and that she employed food taster
Food taster
A food taster is a person that takes food to be served to someone else to confirm that it is safe to eat and does not contain toxins or poisons. The person to whom the food is going to be served is usually an important person, like an emperor or monarch, or anyone that could possibly be under...
s for security.
The diplomatic cables also alleged that Mayawati sent a private jet to Mumbai to retrieve some sandals. Mayawati responded to the cables by saying that the statements they presented were baseless.
Other
Kanshi Ram, head of the Bahujan Samaj Party, praised Mayawati at her 47th birthday celebrations for her fundraising activities on behalf of the party. He stated that the party's eventual goal is to gain power in Delhi, and that Mayawati's efforts help in that quest.Mayawati's public meetings are attended by large audiences, using slogans such as "Kanshi Ram ka mission Adhoora; karegi Behen Mayawati poora" (Kanshi Ram's unfulfilled mission will be completed by Mayawati), "Behenji tum sangharsh karo; hum tumhare saath hain" (Sister, go ahead with your struggle; we are with you).