Following orders from the Supreme Court, vacancies are underway from the official residences in Lucknow for Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav. The shifting process began on Wednesday, merely days after the father-son duo tried moving the Supreme Court to rule against the order that asks former chief ministers to vacate their residences by asking instead for an extension of two years. The Supreme Court passed a judgement on the 7th May asking the former chief ministers to vacate their residences in 15 days’ time.
Saturday marked the completion of that term period and hence, Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav left the vicinity to find a place in Lucknow. Sources said Akhilesh started shifting his belongings to his bungalow in Lucknow’s Sahara Shahar while other sources informed that they’d initially shift into a government guest house. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Akhilesh would vacate his bungalow by Saturday. Tempos were seen exiting his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence as well, but it could not be confirmed whether he was moving out. On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav had challenged the media to “find him a place”.
“We are ready to vacate but we need more time, both netaji (Mulayam Singh) and I don’t have any place to live in Lucknow. If you can find a place for us let us know,” the former Chief Minister snapped.
The estates’ department had issued notices on May 17 to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, Mulayam and Akhilesh, BSP chief Mayawati and N D Tiwari to vacate the houses within 15 days.
Yesterday, claiming compliance with the Supreme Court, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati vacated a government house in Lucknow but held on to a second sprawling bungalow which her party says is a memorial to their founder Kanshi Ram.
The UP government served notice to Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and four other former chief ministers earlier this month, asking them to vacate their official homes in 15 days as ordered by the Supreme Court.
The top court has cancelled changes to the law that enabled former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh to live in official homes for life, saying that these were “based on irrelevant and legally unacceptable considerations, unsupported by any constitutional sanctity.”
A signboard reading ‘Pandit Narayan Dutt Tiwari Sarvajan Vikas Foundation’ appeared on Wednesday outside Tiwari’s 1-A, Mall Avenue, house. His wife, Ujjwala, had earlier written to CM Yogi Adityanath requesting him to let her stay in the house for a year as her husband has been undergoing treatment in New Delhi for eight months. She pleaded Tiwari was in the last stages of his life.
Mayawati had on Wednesday sent keys of a bungalow on Lucknow’s Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg to authorities via speed post in response to the notice served on her to surrender the house allotted to her as a former CM.
Yogesh Kumar Shukla insisted Mayawati had been allotted a bungalow on Mall Avenue, which she has to vacate as per the Supreme Court directive. But Mayawati maintained the Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg house was allotted to her as a former CM. She said the one on Mall Avenue was allotted for BSP founder Kanshi Ram’s memorial.
Story Source: The Indian Express