Smirking politicos, sycophantic followers get HC rap

Politicians, as everybody knows, enjoy posters of their benignly smiling faces plastered all over the place, even as they blame over-enthusiastic followers for it. But now, a high court bench has come down sharply on this practice.

An Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court felt that if leaders who are eulogised by party workers through illegal posters and banners are prosecuted for such hoardings that mar the town's image, it would act as very effective deterrent.

The court held last week that political leaders themselves are liable to be criminally prosecuted for causing and abetting nuisance under the Indian Penal Code, if they allow their pictures to appear on such posters.

Though the initial punishment could be a mere Rs200 fine, if illegal posters are not removed despite an injunction to discontinue, they may even be liable to face a simple jail term ranging from six months to five years for damaging public property, or an additional fine.

The court was hearing a case involving Aurangabad when it gave its order. It directed the state and civic body in Aurangabad to ensure that no hoardings or banners were displayed on public roads till a nodal agency frames further guidelines on removing illegal hoardings.

The Aurangabad bench of the high court comprising justices Ajay Khanwilkar and S S Shinde made it clear that municipal authorities must initiate action against not only those who put up illegal hoardings of political leaders but also the leaders themselves.