BMC to file FIR against NCP for illegal poster

There's no respite for the NCP. After Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, was slammed for his urination remark, the civic body has decided to file an FIR against the city's NCP unit for putting up an illegal hoarding right opposite the BMC's headquarters.

The presence of the poster outside Azad Maidan was brought to the notice of civic authorities by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator Chetan Kadam.

Housing troubles: The NCP city unit under the leadership of Sanjay Patil carried out a morcha from Byculla to Azad Maidan to bring attention to the plight of slum dwellers and MHADA's housing schemes. Pic/Suresh KK

The poster was meant for NCP's agitation highlighting the issues of slum dwellers and MHADA's housing schemes. Sanjay Patil, party's city unit chief, had carried out a morcha from Byculla to Azad Maidan yesterday to draw attention to the issues of slum dwellers in the city.

Mohan Adtani, additional municipal commissioner, said that action would be taken against the party and an FIR would be filed in the case. "We will prosecute the organiser of the morcha for the poster. The BMC will also recover a fine from them, as no political hoardings are allowed to be displayed on the streets."

The party could be fined anywhere between Rs 1,000-Rs 5,000 under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act or Rs 2,000 under the Prevention of Defacement Act. "The fine will be collected only after the lower court prosecutes them and the court alone will decide the amount of the fine," added Adtani.

When MiD DAY contacted NCP Mumbai unit chief Patil, he denied erecting any hoarding at Azad Maidan. "We have not erected any hoarding anywhere in the city about our morcha," said Patil.u00a0

The action has been taken after the Bombay High Court, on March 13, pulled up the BMC for the countless illegal banners defacing the city's streets. The court ordered the civic body to remove all illegal hoardings within 24 hours. A day later, the BMC had removed over 5,000 illegal banners and posters across the city. u00a0u00a0