Soon, hoardings, banners and giant flex boards of politicians on Tamil Nadu streets might become a history as the Madras High Court on Tuesday banned the display of "photos, structures of persons who are alive".
"If any banner or party flag post are erected, it should be removed forthwith. Whoever objects to such removal of party flag/banner, etc., the name and address of such person shall be furnished to the police, so that the police shall register a case against such person," Justice S Vaidyanathan said.
"If at all any permission is given by the authority concerned for erecting banners, flex boards, sign-boards, etc., the authority concerned shall ensure that the photos/pictures of such persons who are alive, shall not be depicted by way of those banners, flex boards, sign-boards, etc," the judge added.
Justice Vaidyanathan, who passed the order while disposing of a case filed by B. Thirulochana Kumari, a resident of Arumbakkam, further directed that the photos of persons, who are sponsoring the pictures, shall also not be depicted.
The judge added that the chief secretary shall send a circular in this regard to all office bearers of the wards.
Vaidyanathan was disposing of a plea seeking a direction to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner to remove a party board, banner and flag put up in front of her house.
The petitioner submitted in April, that a person named Mathi erected a party flag in front of her property and when this was objected to, she was threatened with dire consequences.
According to the petitioner, though the party flag was removed later but another sign board was erected in the same place. She alleged that the inspector declined to accept her representation to take action against Mathi and threatened that a case would be registered against her under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
