Maya’s garland worth Rs 5 crore?
Estimates of how much money was around the Dalit leader’s neck as she stood on the dais ranged from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore.
By TNN |
LUCKNOW: It could well be the most expensive political felicitation . Politicians have been weighed in coins and garlanded with notes but UP chief minister Mayawati’s supporters took the cake on Monday by presenting her with a mammoth garland strung together with 1,000-rupee notes. Estimates of how much money was around the Dalit leader’s neck as she stood on the dais ranged from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore.
Mayawati has been in controversy in the past for collecting public donations on her birthdays. An enthusiastic BSP worker from Kanpur had gifted a plot on the moon on her birthday this year.The BSP supremo’s diamond jewellery sets and her statues carrying a purse have been hot topics of discussion in political circles. But Monday’s extravaganza to celebrate 25 years of BSP’s existence and 76th birth anniversary of founder Kanshi Ram set a new bar.
The origin of the garland could not be immediately ascertained and BSP leaders remained tight-lipped . Intial reports sourced it to the Karnataka unit of the party but the coordinator of Karnataka unit VN Sharma denied his unit had gifted the garland. He, however, said the garland in the news could have made out of contributions from BSP workers across the country. The Karnataka’s BSP unit president N Mahesh could not be contacted for confirmation as his cellphone was switched off.
With enough cash in it to feed several thousand of UP’s poor for a while, tongues wagged in Lucknow on what she would do with the money. Some party sources said the garland would be kept at the museum at party headquarters.
While BSP leaders remained silent over the issue, the ‘currency garland’ gave the opposition yet another opportunity to attack Mayawati. Congress legislative party leader Pramod Tiwari described it an ugly display of money power.
BJP spokesman Hriday Narain Dixit said that it was ‘loot ka paisa’ . Opposition has already been accusing the BSP for spending over Rs 300 crore of public money on the maharally.
Do you think that people are no longer deterred by the law of the land and the law enforcer?
Are Indian politicians outdoing the erstwhile Russian Tsars in vulgar display of wealth?
Mayawati has been in controversy in the past for collecting public donations on her birthdays. An enthusiastic BSP worker from Kanpur had gifted a plot on the moon on her birthday this year.The BSP supremo’s diamond jewellery sets and her statues carrying a purse have been hot topics of discussion in political circles. But Monday’s extravaganza to celebrate 25 years of BSP’s existence and 76th birth anniversary of founder Kanshi Ram set a new bar.
The origin of the garland could not be immediately ascertained and BSP leaders remained tight-lipped . Intial reports sourced it to the Karnataka unit of the party but the coordinator of Karnataka unit VN Sharma denied his unit had gifted the garland. He, however, said the garland in the news could have made out of contributions from BSP workers across the country. The Karnataka’s BSP unit president N Mahesh could not be contacted for confirmation as his cellphone was switched off.
With enough cash in it to feed several thousand of UP’s poor for a while, tongues wagged in Lucknow on what she would do with the money. Some party sources said the garland would be kept at the museum at party headquarters.
While BSP leaders remained silent over the issue, the ‘currency garland’ gave the opposition yet another opportunity to attack Mayawati. Congress legislative party leader Pramod Tiwari described it an ugly display of money power.
BJP spokesman Hriday Narain Dixit said that it was ‘loot ka paisa’ . Opposition has already been accusing the BSP for spending over Rs 300 crore of public money on the maharally.
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Do you think that people are no longer deterred by the law of the land and the law enforcer?
Are Indian politicians outdoing the erstwhile Russian Tsars in vulgar display of wealth?
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