BENGALURU, 17 MARCH

Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (KPYCC) appears to disregard the directive of their own Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who on 16 March ordered a ban on unauthorised banners.

The surroundings of the KPCC office on Queens Road were awash with Congress banners on 17 March. Shivakumar had instructed officials to inspect their respective zones and remove illegal banners.

When Salar News spoke to him ahead of his swearing-in ceremony at Palace Grounds on 17 March, KPYCC President HS Manjunath said, “The banners will stay until the event ends. We are aware of the order and will take it down three to four hours after the oath-taking ceremony. We have been charged a penalty for the same, which we will pay.”

When Salar News contacted BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath to find out if any special permission was granted to the Youth Congress, he did not respond.

However, just a few hours after the swearing-in ceremony, the BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath held a meeting where he said that illegal flex-boards and banners in Bengaluru have increased and that they must be removed. He directed civic officials to double fines for the illegal displays and register FIRs against violators.

Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad told Salar News, “The Youth Congress was not given any permission to keep flexes and banners intact. Hence, a case has been registered against them, and a certain penalty has also been levied, but I am unsure about the amount.”

After the event, BBMP filed FIRs against three Congress leaders and four state revenue officials and imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine on each of them.  The BBMP mistakenly listed BJP leader KS Manjunath Gowda instead of HS Manjunath in the Kannada FIR copy.