In a video that emerged on social media on Monday, a woman is seen tearing down an illegal flex hoarding in Bengaluru that was installed to wish the ruling Bharartiya Janata Party's national general secretary, CT Ravi, on his 55th birthday.
The Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act prohibits hoardings for commercial purposes and all flex banners in and around the City Business District (CBD), which includes a one-kilometre radius around the Vidhana Soudha. The hoarding was installed in front of the Vidhana Soudha and opposite the Karnataka high court.
Several such were seen around the city on Monday, which enraged citizens.
The social media chief of the Congress' Karnataka unit from Belagavi, Gulab Balekundri, shared the video of the woman ripping the hoarding and identified her as Bindu Gowda.
"Bindu Gowda boldly tore down the banner placed in front of Vidhana Soudha," he wrote.
Local reports claimed Gowda is a Congress worker, but this could not be confirmed by Hindustan Times. The woman was later seen arguing with a Hindi-speaking man outside the Vidhana Soudha premises, who is heard saying, "You don't have the right to tear down the hoarding, you should have given a complaint instead."
{{/usCountry}}Local reports claimed Gowda is a Congress worker, but this could not be confirmed by Hindustan Times. The woman was later seen arguing with a Hindi-speaking man outside the Vidhana Soudha premises, who is heard saying, "You don't have the right to tear down the hoarding, you should have given a complaint instead."
{{/usCountry}}To this, she says, "We have already given a complaint and we know what to do. You don't have the right to speak on the issue since you are not even a Kannadiga. Go learn Kannada first and then talk to me."
In a similar instance, a resident posted a picture of a street where multiple banners, posters and flexes were installed covering sign boards. “Count the number of flex boards blocking driver's view at CBI road - RT Nagar road junction near HMT ground, Ganganagar. Sign boards are also covered,” he tweeted.
The Bengaluru Traffic Police's replied to the tweet, tagging the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's chief commissioner and administrator, and the RT Nagar traffic police to alert them of the issue.
A Twitter page, Namma Bengaluroo, also responded, saying, "Law makers or Law breakers. Illegal flex banners banned by #KHC is openly flaunted by elected reps."
Another Twitter page called the North Bangalore Post also shared images of several banners in other parts of the city.