Elephant row a conspiracy:BSP

Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has said the controversy over its election symbol, elephant, had been raked up by opposition parties with vested interests.
In a release on Wednesday, party general secretary Satish Chandra Misra said it was a "political conspiracy". However, opposition leaders continue to lambaste the BSP on the issue.
Misra was reacting to the notice issued to the BSP by the Election Commission (EC) which is looking into a petition about the Mayawati government allegedly misusing government money to put up statues of elephants. The BSP has been asked to reply by August 12.
"In Indian culture, elephants have been a symbol of welcome and good luck for ages," Misra said. "The statues of elephants installed in parks and memorials in Uttar Pradesh are different from the elephant depicted in the party's election symbol," he said.
Misra pointed out that the trunks of the elephants in the statues were curled up in the air as a form of salutation or greeting, while the trunk of the elephant in the party's election symbol was hanging towards the ground. "We have made our position clear in this regard to EC earlier also," he said.
"Opposition parties threatened by the BSP's increasing popularity and power have fuelled this controversy for cheap publicity. The BSP is not the least affected by such tactics."
Misra said "Elephant Parks" had been constructed at several places in UP in previous regimes as well. "Statues of elephants saluting visitors at the gates of Raj Bhavans, Rashtrapati Bhavan and several temples across the country have never evoked controversy... it's a ridiculous issue being raked up unnecessarily," he said.
Misra also pointed out that other parties had erected museums, memorials and mausoleums in memory of their leaders. "But when we build memorials, opposition leaders start having problems... it amounts to disrespect to the great Dalit and backward leaders in whose memory the BSP is building memorials," he said.
Misra said the Mayawati government had been giving out bicycles to poor girl students. "But no one ever raised any objection, saying the cycle is the Samajwadi Party's election symbol," he quipped.
SP leader Shivpal Singh told reporters the Mayawati government was squandering funds on putting up elephant statues when she should be concentrating on drought relief. "The BSP's recognition as a national party should be withdrawn immediately," he said. He has demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged misuse of funds for building parks and memorials.
Congress leader Vivek Singh said funds from central schemes were being used for building parks and memorials and installing statues. "At a time when farmers are committing suicides, all Mayawati can think of is putting up her own statues and those of elephants... hundreds of crores of government funds are being used to popularise a party."