BBMP should be renamed as “BJP office”, says KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar

Shivakumar told mediapersons: “Policemen and BBMP officials are removing banners and flex hoardings put up by the Congress party. If this continues, I will ensure that Congress workers remove the banners and flex hoardings that the BJP has put up.”

D.K. Shivakumar, KPCC president, on the padayatra in bengaluru, on March 3.

As the Mekedatu padayatra reached Bengaluru on March 1, a controversy broke out over the display of flex banners by Congress workers along the route. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had objected to Congress workers adorning the streets with flex banners which are banned in Bengaluru. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar responded to this action by saying that the BBMP should be renamed as “BJP office”.

Speaking to mediapersons on March 1, Shivakumar said, “The BBMP which is politicising the issue of flex banners should be renamed as BJP office. Policemen and BBMP officials are removing banners and flex hoardings put up by the Congress party. If this continues, I will ensure that Congress workers remove the banners and flex hoardings that the BJP has put up. C. N. Ashwath Narayan (Minister of Higher Education) and V. Somanna (Minister of Infrastructure Development) can put up banners to celebrate their birthdays; the Chief Minister [Basavaraj Bommai] can put up a flex hoarding for his programme in Bommanahalli (an area in Bengaluru). Does the rule apply only to the Congress? Is there a different law for the BJP? Gaurav Gupta, (Chief Commissioner, BBMP) please change the name of your office to ‘BJP office’.”

The Mekedatu padayatra will culminate at the National College Grounds on March 3. The walkathon is drawing thousands of people as it passes through different parts of the capital city, while traffic jams have also been reported in the wake of the march. Meanwhile, Bommai accused the Congress leadership of “creating hardship for the people of Bengaluru”.