Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed several political hoardings displaying New Year greetings at the Cuttack Road–Satya Nagar overbridge junction in Odisha’s capital late on Thursday, following protests from serving and retired defence personnel who complained that the banners were obscuring the Ashoka Pillar, India’s national emblem.
According to sources, the New Year greeting banners erected by various political leaders and local MLAs surrounded and fully covered the pillar, rendering it invisible to passersby.
Describing the act as “shameful and unacceptable”, serving and retired defence personnel, along with senior citizens, lodged a formal complaint at Capital police station. They argued that overlaying the Ashoka Pillar with political publicity material not only insults the emblem but also conveys a misguided message to the public, particularly the younger generation.
Refusing to depart the police station until assurances of action were given, the group also met wBMC Mayor Sulochana Das, demanding immediate removal of the banners and the issuance of strict guidelines to prevent future occurrences.
Responding promptly to the complaint, the BMC enforcement squad, accompanied by police, took down the hoardings, including those belonging to prominent local politicians, at around 10.30 pm.
