Statues represent will of the people: Mayawati tells SC

New Delhi, Apr 02: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday justified installation of her statues across many cities in the state, saying it represented the "will of the people".

"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 state legislature had shown respect to a Dalit woman leader. "How could I defy the will of the state legislature," she said.

The BSP leader termed the PIL in this regard as a politically motivated petition and said that the petition was a result of disgruntlement against the respect being shown to a Dalit woman leader.