Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sought “appropriate time” from the Supreme Court for vacating their official residences, reported PTI. This comes after the top court ordered six former chief ministers to vacate the government bungalows allocated to them.
They had initially requested the government for a two-year grace period. Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that he has not found an appropriate house to accommodate the security personnel provided to him as a former chief minister.
Earlier, former chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati appeared to have defied the Supreme Court’s order after a signboard declaring the government bungalow allotted to her as a memorial was seen. The sign said the building was now the Sri Kanshiram ji Yadgar Vishram Sthal (Sri Kanshi Ramji Memorial Rest House).
On May 7, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 (3) of the UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2016, that allowed former chief ministers to stay in government bungalows. The top court said that such a legislation was “arbitrary, discriminatory and unsupported by the Indian Constitution”.
“Such laws create a separate class. Once public servants demit office there should be nothing to distinguish them from a common man,” it added.
On May 17, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government issued notices to at least six former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers, including those from the BJP, to vacate their official bungalows in Lucknow within 15 days. They are Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and Rajnath Singh.
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