The usually belligerent Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati appears to be coming to terms with harsh realities. And that was well demonstrated in Lucknow on Friday evening when she chose to surprise all by withdrawing the bill -- as well as a parallel ordinance -- for raising a special security force to guard her dream memorials and statues being erected in Lucknow and Noida at a whopping cost of nearly Rs 6,000 crores.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the state cabinet in Lucknow on Friday evening.
UP government came out with a 'wishy-washy' reason for withdrawal of the bill, claiming that it was prompted on account of the absence of women among ex-servicemen, who were to form the new outfit designated as 'Special Zone Security Force.'
The force was meant to guard eight memorials and statues in Lucknow and one in Noida. "The security of these places would now be entrusted to home guards," an official spokesman told mediapersons in Lucknow.
"Since women tourists too would be visiting these memorials and statues in large numbers, it was pertinent that the security force meant to guard these places must also include adequate number of women," the spokesman justified.
However, highly placed sources attributed the decision to the Central government's adverse view on a legal opinion sought by state Governor
B L Joshi before whom the bill and ordinance were pending, after being passed by the state assembly in February last.
It was during the pendency of the bill with the governor that the Mayawati government passed an ordinance to the same effect in the month of April.
However, the governor chose to refer the bill as well as the ordinance to the Union law ministry for legal opinion.
Sources claimed that the Union law ministry pointed out certain serious lacunae in the bill, rendering it absolutely "unconstitutional."
No sooner than this was conveyed to the state government, the chief minister hurriedly convened a meeting of the state cabinet, which resolved to withdraw the bill on Friday evening.
