Statue issue: SC to hear PIL against Mayawati

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, who has sparked off a controversy with her statue unveiling spree in Lucknow, will face scrutiny of the Supreme Court tomorrow.

The apex court had fixed Monday for the hearing of a PIL which sought a CBI probe against Mayawati for "misusing" crores of rupees of public money for installing statues.

The BSP supremo unveiled 15 statues, which include that of party founder Kanshi Ram and herself on June 25, nine days ahead of the scheduled date July 3, after the apex court decided to hear the PIL challenging the Rs 52.20 crore project.

The PIL filed by Delhi-based advocate Ravi Kant is listed for hearing before a vacation bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Ganguly.

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh have launched a tirade against the Chief Minister for the project and has termed the unveiling of the statues as an attempt to pre-empt the Supreme Court from putting it on hold.

The PIL, which was filed mid this month, had sought to restrain Mayawati from installing her statues and party symbol in public places at the cost of the state exchequer and demanded a CBI probe into the issue.