Ambedkar Park issue: SC grants relief to Mayawati

The Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted curbs imposed by the Allahabad High Court, giving relief to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to go ahead with the construction of the Ambedkar Park in Lucknow. 

The Mayawati government had moved a petition to vacate the stay on construction activities, saying that it had resulted in serious problems of maintenance of the memorials. 

The apex court observed that 'the orders passed by the judiciary on the subject falling under the domain of legislature and the executive should be ignored and should be treated in nullity' and the courts should not exceed their 'limits.'

"How can the High Court pass interim order on the issue relating to the Master Plan which is not in the domain of the judiciary?" said a bench comprising Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju, while staying the April 4 interim order of the HC. 

The Mayawati government had triggered a controversy by changing the land use of 35 acres area of Bhim Rao Ambedkar Park and starting the construction activities for setting up the Kanshi Ram Research Institute.

A group of residents had moved the High Court, which directed the state government to maintain status quo on the construction activities. The apex court refused to pass any order for contempt action against the state government for allegedly installing a permanent structure in the park to organize the birth centenary celebrations of Bhim Rao Ambedkar on April 14. 

The bench also issued notice to Gomati Nagar Jan Kalyan Samiti and other petitioners on the plea of the state government seeking transfer of all cases relating to the Ambedkar Park to the apex court and stayed all the proceedings in the high court.