New Delhi: The ruling BJP in MCD today
strongly protested against the officials of the civic body
over removal of party hoardings against Delhi government`s
power tariff policy, but the Municipal Commissioner gave a new
twist to the issue saying the posters were pulled down under
the Mayor`s orders to act against illegal advertisements.
The issue of removal of hoardings carrying messages
against the Sheila Dikshit government was raised at a meeting
of MCD House by BJP councillors.
The hoardings against the government`s power tariff
policy have already led to bitter acrimony between BJP and
Congress with Dikshit slapping a defamation notice on Delhi
BJP chief Vijender Gupta and the latter accusing the chief
minister of acting in an "undemocratic" manner.
Facing strong protests from the ruling party members,
Municipal Commissioner K S Mehra told the MCD House that the
hoardings were removed after direction from the city Mayor
himself.
He said the Mayor had asked the officials to take
suitable action against all illegal hoardings and the BJP
posters have been removed from various parts of the city
following the Supreme Court approved policy and as per
procedure following consultations with the MCD`s legal
adviser.
Leader of MCD House Subhash Arya, however, accused the
Commissioner of trying to "mislead" the House.
"The Mayor had written a letter 20 days back asking
the officials to remove illegal advertisements. But these were
all authorised paid sites. These were not illegal hoardings.
The Mayor is out of station and will speak on the issue after
he comes back," Arya said.
Arya had earlier accused Dikshit of "pressurising"
MCD officials to remove the hoardings.
MCD Standing Committee chairperson Yogender Chandoila
said that the Mayor had written to the Commissioner asking him
to remove all such hoardings that were unauthorised, made
personal attacks or were put up at unauthorised sites.
However, the hoardings in question made remarks
against the state administration and did not attack the CM
personally, he said.
"The letter written by the Mayor was a general one
about unauthorised hoardings but the posters in question were
completely legal, as the party had gone through the proper
channels to pay for the authorised advertising sites,"
Chandolia said, adding, the commissioner has asked to ensure
that such an action is not repeated.
-PTI
