New Delhi: The Indore Municipal Corporation has slapped a fine of Rs 13.46 lakh on the BJP’s city unit for putting up posters and banners without its permission during national executive president J.P. Nadda’s visit Sunday.
The civic body has sent the notice to the BJP’s city unit president Gopikrishna Nema with a break-up of the fine. According to the notice, the BJP’s Indore unit has been fined Rs 12,21,300 for putting up the hoardings without permission and Rs 1,25,000 as compensation for the use of the corporation’s resources in removing them.
The letter also mentions that the action has been taken in accordance with the Madhya Pradesh Government’s Outdoor Advertising Media Rules 2017 and Section 322 of the Corporations Act 1956 that forbids putting up hoardings, posters and banners in the city without permission
BJP cries foul
The action, however, has sparked off a controversy as the Indore Municipal Corporation is dominated by BJP councillors while mayor Malini Gaur is also from the party.
Gaur accused the ruling Congress of discriminating against BJP in the matter.
“The Kamal Nath government is continuously discriminating against us,” she said. “The officers in the corporation are under tremendous pressure from the state government and they are following government orders to target us.”
A senior official from the Indore Municipal Corporation, however, told ThePrint that the action was taken to maintain Indore’s cleanliness.
“Chief Minister Kamal Nath himself had issued an appeal to keep the city clean and not to put up any posters. The Cleanliness Survey has already started in the city,” the official said. “Against this backdrop if anyone puts up posters without seeking any kind of permission, then action becomes necessary.”
Indore holds the distinction of being declared the country’s cleanest city three consecutive times under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with the municipal corporation being credited for the accolade.
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A high-profile visit
Nadda’s visit to Indore on 22 December was his first as executive president. As such, BJP workers had made special arrangements to welcome him with posters and banners across the city.
A welcome rally was also organised in the city that saw the participation of several top BJP leaders including national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state BJP president Rakesh Singh, several former ministers and several MLAs.
The entire rally route had been covered with flags, banners and posters.
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the BJP government is the reason indore is as clean as it is now