Mayawati should pay back public money spent on statues: Supreme Court

New Delhi, Feb 08: The Supreme Court on Friday asked Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati to pay back all the public money spent on erecting her statues and those of elephants - the party symbol - at parks in Lucknow and Noida to the state exchequer.

The remarks were made by a bench hearing a petition filed by an advocate who had contended that public money cannot be utilised for creating own statues and for propagating the political party.

"We are of the tentative view that Mayawati has to deposit the public money spent on her statues and party symbol to the state exchequer," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said.

The bench, also comprising justices Deepka Gupta and Sanjeev Khanna, posted the matter for final hearing on April 2.

The bench made it clear the tentative view was expressed by it as the matter will take some time for hearing.

"We will have it for final disposal on April 2," the bench said.