BJP leaders face Bombay HC ire over hoardings

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) counsel whether its top leaders will direct party workers not to use their photos on illegal banners and posters. If not, it will issue a contempt notice against them, the court said. BJP counsel then sought a day’s time to file a reply.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.S. Gadkari was hearing petitions filed by social activist Bhagwanji Rayani and Suswaraj Foundation, a NGO, alleging that illegal posters and banners were defacing the city and needed to be removed.

The court, while hearing the petition, noted that 90 per cent of the illegal hoardings belonged to political parties. The court had issued several orders pertaining to banners.

In last hearing, the court  had asked all the parties to file affidavits stating what action they had taken against the party workers.

The petitioner’s counsel Uday Varunjikar informed the court that the Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Shiv Sena had not filed any affidavit about what action they had taken against their party workers. The court then warned parties to file an affidavit at the next hearing or face a contempt notice.

MNS informed the court that it had taken action against three corporators of Ahmednagar for erecting illegal hoardings. It further pointed out that apart from hoardings and banners, political advertisements by painting of walls of streets also needed to be restricted.

The court then asked them to compile evidence of wall paintings and submit before the court.