Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Removal of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hoardings, highlighting the power tariff issue, was the focus of a verbal spat that dominated the house meeting Tuesday of the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The BJP councillors criticised the Delhi government’s move by holding placards and raising slogans against the Congress and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for the removal of hoardings from 30 sites in the capital Saturday,

Meera Aggarwal, senior councillor of the BJP, said: “According to Supreme Court guidelines, advertisements targeting any brand or individual can be removed. But the BJP power tariff hoardings had nothing against Dikshit as a person nor did they target a brand.”

“The hoardings were spreading awareness to the common man on the power tariff and how the distribution companies were exploiting them,” Aggarwal said.

She argued that the hoardings were completely legal, as the party had gone through proper channels to pay for the authorised advertising sites.

“The MCD had auctioned several sites after the Supreme Court’s permission. Our party used only those legal sites. Then why should the state government pull down the hoardings?” she questioned.

Answering this, MCD commissioner K.S. Mehra said: “A legal opinion was sought from the chief legal officer at the standing council. In the light of the Supreme Court guidelines, the hoardings were removed.”

Not satisfied with this answer, BJP councillors shouted slogans against the civic body commissioner, saying he was a remote control in the hands of the chief minister and acts according to her orders.

Jai Kishan Sharma, leader of the Congress opposition, said: “The removal of hoardings was right.”

He stressed that the hoardings were erected in violation of Supreme Court guidelines.