SP files police complaint over hoardings ‘targeting Akhilesh’

Ghaziabad: Samajwadi Party (SP) officials in Ghaziabad on Wednesday filed a police complaint alleging that several large hoardings had come up on unipoles on key roads in Ghaziabad as part of a “planned conspiracy” to malign party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s image

Ghaziabad: Samajwadi Party (SP) officials in Ghaziabad on Wednesday filed a police complaint alleging that several large hoardings had come up on unipoles on key roads in Ghaziabad as part of a “planned conspiracy” to malign party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s image. Ghaziabad officials later said the hoardings had been removed.

As large hoardings were found on the unipoles, party officials alleged it was part of a planned conspiracy to malign their party chief’s image. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

“We met additional police commissioner (Raj Karan Nayyar) and apprised him about the issue. About a dozen such large hoardings were put up on major roads across Ghaziabad. These hoardings are suspected to have been put up late Tuesday night and it seems to be a planned conspiracy,” said Abhishek Garg, Samajwadi Party’s UP state secretary.

“It is surprising that such large banners were put up in prominent areas with police presence at night, and that too with such ease,” he said.

Garg, however, did not name anyone they suspected of having carried out the act.

Faisal Hussain, the SP’s Ghaziabad district president, said, “Apart from Ghaziabad city, the big hoardings were also put up in Modinagar. We have information that such mischief was also resorted to in other nearby districts.”

HT’s attempt to reach out the additional commissioner of police for a comment did not elicit any response from his office. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Dhawal Jaiswal said, “The hoardings were put up on the property of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation. The SP leaders’ complaint is under investigation.”

Anuj Singh, the corporation’s in-charge of outdoor advertising, declined comment on the issue.

Requesting anonymity, officials said the advertising work has been outsourced to a private firm. “We do not know who put up the hoardings on unipoles managed by our firm. We do not have any inclination of affiliation to any political party. Police must investigate, taking help of CCTVs. We have no connection whatsoever with the putting up of hoardings. We are also writing to the corporation about the issue,” said an officer of the advertising firm.

Officials said as soon as the incident came to light in the morning, the firm got the hoardings taken down.