MK Stalin warns party members of action if banners put up

Chennai: DMK President MK Stalin on Friday warned his partymen that he will not participate in any function if banners or hoardings are put up. He also said strict action will be taken by the party against those who put up hoardings and banners, inconveniencing the public and hindering traffic flow.

Stalin had condemned the AIADMK government and state police for the death of a 23-year-old woman who was run over by a tanker when she fell off her two-wheeler after she was struck by a banner put up by a ruling party functionary on Thursday here.

In a statement here, Stalin said one or two party banners could be installed where the party`s public meetings and functions are held after getting due permission.

Twenty-three-year-old Subashree working in a software company was run over by a water tanker as she fell down on the road when an illegal life-size hoarding put up by a ruling AIADMK functionary fell on her on Thursday. Even though the Madras High Court had banned hoardings in public places, an AIADMK party official C. Jayagopal had put up the banner at the centre of the busy Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road.

Subashree was returning home from office when the accident happened. The banner had the images of Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and others for a family wedding.

Panneersevlam had attended that wedding. Expressing his condolence for Subashree`s death DMK President M.K.Stalin tweeted: "How many lives have to be sacrificed for such arrogance of power."

He said, an illegal hoarding had killed Subashree owing to government`s carelessness, irresponsibility of the officials and the inability of the police. Action has been initiated against the people who had installed the banner and have arrested the tanker driver for rash driving, the police said.

The Chennai Corporation has sealed the printing press that printed the banner.