Madras HC bars political parties from erecting banners

Chennai: The Madras high court has ruled that political parties should not erect any digital banners on the side of arterial roads and any other road across the state, until further orders.

A division bench comprising Justices M.Sathyanarayanan and P.Rajamanickam passed the interim order and posted to January 4, further hearing of a batch of petitions relating to banners, including the one filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy.

“The Government of Tamil Nadu and local bodies concerned, unless they come out with a clear undertaking that the relevant rules pointed out and various orders by the court will be strictly complied with and scrupulously implemented and that no such violation would take place, the recognised and registered political parties should not erect digital banners on the side of the arterial roads and any other road across the state of Tamil Nadu, which distracts the road users and especially the riders of two wheelers and obstructing the pedestrians, until further orders”, the bench added.

The bench said a perusal of the photographs shows the cadres of the Congress party appears to have erected very big banners right on the platform and projecting on the road in pursuance of the license accorded by the Regional Deputy Commissioner and No Objection Certificate given by the Station House Officer. The above said acts of the officers prima facie show that in a routine manner without adhering to the relevant rules permission has been granted and as and when it was brought to the knowledge of the court, the officers explanation was that they have removed the banners and it will not take place in future. In the considered opinion of this court, the relevant rules have not been adhered to in letter and spirit. Therefore, this court has left with no other option but to give the above direction, the bench added.