SC Closes 15-Year-Old PIL against Mayawati’s over Elephant Statues Expenditure

The Supreme Court dismissed a 15-year-old PIL that claimed the UP government, under the leadership of former CM Mayawati, improperly used over ₹2,000 crore to erect statues of elephants and life-sized figures of herself.

A Bench observed that most of the concerns had become irrelevant since the statutes were already installed, and the Election Commission had released relevant guidelines.

The petition alleged the misuse of public funds and breach of Election Commission regulations. However, Mayawati responded to the criticism by asserting that the installations reflected the "will of the people" and characterized the PIL as politically motivated.