Mayawati hands over bungalow to UP govt, maintains that it's Kanshi Ram's memorial

BSP Chief Mayawati on Saturday handed over the charge of the bungalow at 13A, Mall Avenue, Lucknow, to the Uttar Pradesh government, days after Supreme Court directed former chief ministers to vacate their government accomodation. Mayawati has now shifted to her new residence at 9 Mall Avenue.

"It is now the responsibility of the state govt to look after and maintain the security at 13-A Mall Avenue residence which is the memorial of Kanshi Ram," she said after vacating the government acoomodation.

The UP government recently sent notices to six politicians after Supreme Court ordered that they should shift out of the official accommodation allotted to them as former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati then went ahead and converted into a Kanshiram Yadgar Vishram Shthal.

The BSP recently said Mayawati occupied just two rooms of the "Shri Kanshi Ram Ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal".

Following the Supreme Court order, the UP government on May 17 issued notices to Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav to vacate the bungalows. While Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh indicated their willingness to do so, the others have expressed reluctance.

N D Tiwari's wife Ujjwala Tiwari sought more time, pleading that her husband was in the "last stages" of his life.

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav have written to the Estate Department seeking two more years at their official residences and have moved the apex court on this.