Why did Mayawati remain unmarried? Here's what she wrote

New Delhi, Apr 2: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday wrote to the Supreme Court in connection with the case over installing her statues and BSP's symbol at different places in UP during her tenure.

Mayawati reportedly wrote that she had "dedicated her entire life for the upliftment of the downtrodden". She wrote that in her service of the people she had even "remained unmarried".

She further justified installation of her statues across many cities in the state, saying it represented the "will of the people".

The Supreme Court is hearing a petition against the statues of Mayawati and elephants, her party's symbol, at parks in UP cities such as Noida and Lucknow, using taxpayers' money.

"The will of the people was expressed by the state legislature with a proposal to install the statues of the answering respondent at the memorials to show respect to the contemporary woman Dalit leader who has decided to sacrifice her life for the cause of the underprivileged communities," Mayawati said in an affidavit to the top court.

The Supreme Court had last month asked Mayawati to pay back all the public money spent on erecting her statues and those of elephants at parks in Lucknow and Noida to the state exchequer.