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Mulayam meets Yogi after SC order against former CMs occupying govt bungalows
An official spokesperson, however, termed the meeting as a mere courtesy call.
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, days after the Supreme Court quashed a law enacted by the previous Akhilesh Yadav government on allotment of government bungalows to former chief ministers.
Although an official spokesman termed the meeting as a courtesy call, those familiar with the development said the issue of government bungalows allotted to him and his son, Akhilesh Yadav, on Lucknow’s Vikramaditya Marg figured in the discussion.
Mulayam also reportedly suggested that Govind Choudhary, leader of the opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, and Ahmad Hasan, leader of the opposition in the Vidhan Parishad, be allotted bungalows.
When contacted, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said he was unaware of any such meeting between Mulayam and Adityanath.
The Samajwadi Party government had amended the Uttar Pradesh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act- 1981 in 2016 to allot government residences to former chief ministers at his or her request for their lifetime. The move was challenged by Lucknow-based non-profit organisation Lokprahari.
On May 7, the Supreme Court struck down the law on the grounds that “Section 4(3) of the UP Ministers (salaries, allowances & miscellaneous provisions) Act-2016 is unconstitutional”. It also ordered that allotment of government bungalows to former chief ministers, private bodies and individuals be cancelled.
