CHENNAI: The death of a 23-year-old has not been enough for functionaries of political parties to refrain from lining up banners. Due to the noise against illegal banners, a party functionary lined up EB road in Mogappair East, with serial light hoardings instead, for his daughter’s engagement on Monday evening, claiming that ‘it could not be considered a banner.’
After a complaint was filed, Corporation officials instructed the removal of the serial light hoardings on Monday evening but not before releasing the complainant’s name and phone number to Ayyanar, a local functionary who had erected the banners. Nakkeeran Pugazhendhi, treasurer of Chennai-based civic rights group Arappor Iyakkam, filed the complaint at around 11 am on Monday through the city corporation’s 1913 helpline. Within ten minutes of filing the complaint, he received a call from the corporation assistant engineer of Mogappair East, who asked Nakkeeran for details on the hoardings. Immediately after, he received a call from the functionary himself.
“If Corporation authorities continue to reveal the identities and contact numbers of the complainants, how will the public come forward to raise complaints?” asked Nakkeeran. When contacted, Ayyanar’s ‘PA’ said that the serial light hoardings were removed immediately.
“The function was to be held on Monday evening but we removed all the hoardings before the function itself, since they said it was not allowed and a complaint was made,” his PA told Express.