Sonia mania: Banners invade city

Sonia mania: Banners invade city
New Indian EXpress

BANGALORE: Motorists and pedestrians in the city have been having a harrowing time, with cut outs of AICC president Sonia Gandhi blocking traffic signals and posters on lamp posts threatening to collapse on pedestrians. Walls of all public property and bus stops, too, are covered with posters.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) gave permission for only 37 banners, but Congress workers have splashed the city with their leaders’ pictures. Instead of taking action against the netas, BMP officials are satisfied by busy writing a report.

The civic body is waiting for the Sunday rally to conclude before cleaning up the mess. BMP Commissioner K Jairaj said that action would be taken for violations, and BMP was awaiting the report. BMP Joint Commissioner (Enforcement) N Jayaram confirmed that 37 banners were permitted by the civic body. But thousands of posters and placards are visible on all major roads including Bellary Road, MG Road, Jayamahal Road, Rajbhavan Road, Cubbon Road, Airport Road, Palace Road and Queens Road.

Posters and banners were put up on lamp posts and roadside trees while cutouts were erected on road medians. BMP advertisement rules do not allow such publicity and stipulate penalty. Joint Commissioner (East) Nagaraj told that he would do an inspection and issue notice to publishers.

BMP had issued advertisements last month appealing to political parties to restrain from ostentation but the brazen way the Congress has changed the face of the city, proves that lawmakers are the first to flout norms. And the civic body seems to be looking the other way as Bangaloreans are forced to spend the weekend staring at garish publicity pictures.

Last year, the then Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Janardhan Poojary had apologised for similar excesses.