BENGALURU: Despite the ban on flexes and banners, and citizens flaying the banner culture, political leaders don’t seem to care a damn about either BBMP rules or the High Court verdict. In a fresh development, local leaders and supporters of former Congress MLC M Narayanaswamy, and candidate from KR Puram for the assembly election, have put up small and big cutouts to wish him on his birthday.
The irony is that cheap publicity material has come up within half a kilometre from HAL ward’s Annasandrapalya, where about 50 homes were flooded after Vibhutipura lake swelled. A leader identified as Manjunath aka Manjanna put up the flexes from BEML Circle to Hospital Road and Jagadish Nagar Circle of New Thippasandra Ward.
A big cutout of Narayanaswamy in the foreground and Vidhana Soudha in the background seems to be Manjunath’s attempt to impress, with BBMP elections due. Narayanaswamy is considered close to DK Shivakumar, and the leader is hoping he may lobby for a ticket. Interestingly, the publicity material— which goes against the BBMP Act, 2020, under Section 3 of the Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981— was put up a few days ago when parts of the city were ravaged after Vibhutipura and Bellandur lakes swelled.
BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath had last month said that instructions had been given to officials to take action and clear the flexes, and that 28 FIRs were booked on illegal flexes. Meanwhile, BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) RL Deepak said he had given instructions to officials to remove the flexes wishing Narayanaswamy, and also to file cases.