BSP disowns its elephants

LUCKNOW: With the statues of elephant, BSP���s party symbol, coming under the scrutiny of the Election Commission (EC), the party has reacted by claiming that they are merely traditional welcome symbols.

BSP general secretary S C Mishra said the elephant has been a traditional Indian symbol of welcome, which can be found at various ancient buildings and temples. He said the elephants which have been installed at the memorials and parks being built by the present government are also in the welcome posture and cannot be linked with BSP���s party symbol.

He said the previous governments had also built parks that had elephant statues and claimed that even the Rashtrapati Bhavan had statues of elephant.

Mr Mishra pointed out that the elephants placed inside the memorials and parks built in the Mayawati regime are also symbols of welcome, as has been the practice since ages.

Large number of elephant statues which have been placed inside memorials and parks built by the Mayawati government had attracted criticism from political opponents, who claimed that chief minister Mayawati was installing her party symbol in these parks at the cost of public exchequer.

Acting on complaints that the statues were violation of the model code of conduct, the Election Commission had on Tuesday served a notice to BSP seeking its comment on the issue. BSP president Mayawati has been asked by EC to send her reply by August 12.

Mr Mishra said the party had previously made its stand clear on the issue on similar complaints received by EC earlier. He said that the rival parties who were alarmed at the growing base of BSP were deliberately creating a controversy.

He said the party would soon reply to the notice of EC and said the party symbol of elephant had no similarity to the elephant statues being put up in the parks and memorials by the state government.