No bail for three accused of vandalising Mayawati statue

Lucknow, Aug 7 (IANS) A city court Tuesday refused bail to the three people accused of vandalising a statue of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati here last month.

Dismissing the bail applications, Sessions judge Kamal Kishore Sharma ruled that the act was against society and had serious ramifications.

He was hearing the bail applications moved by Alok Srivastava, Arpit Srivastava and Vishal Mishra.

"The Taj Mahal and the Red Fort have also been built by using public money. This does not mean that people with divergent views be allowed to vandalise them," the judge said.

The act of vandalism led to political unrest and in many parts of the state, property worth crores of rupees was gutted in violence and protests, the judge said.

The judge also lauded the prompt measures taken by the Uttar Pradesh government to restore normalcy and putting up a new statue.

A marble statute of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, installed in Ambedkar Park in Lucknow, was vandalised allegedly by members of the Uttar Pradesh Nav Nirman Sena July 26.