Lucknow: Following his son and Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav’s example, Mulayam Singh too has written to the State Estate Department in Uttar Pradesh seeking two years’ time to vacate his official bungalow.
The move comes despite the Supreme Court’s May 7 order that former CMs cannot occupy their official residence after demitting office, and a Uttar Pradesh government notification on May 17 asking the ex-CMs to vacate their official bungalows within 15 days.
Maulayam’s letter was sent to State Estate Officer Yogesh Kumar by personal secretary of Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday. Any decision on the letter will be taken after proper consultation with the law department.
Akhilesh Yadav, in his letter, sought two years' time to vacate the premises arguing he does not have another place where he could live with his kind of security cover.
A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi quashed the law, which entitled former chief ministers to retain government bungalows for a lifetime, ruling that granting further privilege violates Right to Equality under Article 14.
“The Chief Minister, once he or she demits the office, is at par with the common citizen, though by virtue of the office held, he or she may be entitled to security and other protocols. But allotment of government bungalow, to be occupied during his or lifetime, would not be guided by the constitutional principle of equality,” noted the bench.
BSP chief Mayawati, on the other hand, has declared the official residence occupied by her as a memorial for party founder Kanshi Ram
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