Allahabad High Court grants relief to Mayawati in currency garland case

Allahabad, Mar 22 : The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged expenses of about Rs 200 crore, which includes the currency note garland that was presented to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati by her supporters during the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) silver jubilee celebrations on March 15.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Justice Amitava Lala and Justice Anil Kumar dismissed the PIL after hearing both the parties.

Three local lawyers had filed the PIL on March 18.

It was alleged in the PIL that approximately Rs 175 crore of public money was spent in the ''maharally'' and another Rs 25 crore on the garland presented to Mayawati.

The income-tax department is investigation the source from where the money came for the giant currency garland that was presented to Mayawati by her supporters.

The Samajwadi Party and the Congress both have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter, questioning the source from where the money had come.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh has accused Mayawati of misusing public money, and said that she is not the daughter of a Dalit, but the daughter of wealth.

Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev has also criticized her of doing business through politics.

The multi-crore garland was just a small part of the extravagant Rs 200 crore celebrations that marked the BSP''s 25th anniversary, and its founder Kanshi Ram''s birthday, with a massive rally in Lucknow.