In a major setback to all political parties ahead of the Mumbai civic polls, the Bombay High Court on Thursday directed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to remove all hoardings, banners and advertisements that had been put up illegally by various parties and initiate action against them.
A fortnight after it had asked the Election Commission to intervene and rein in the political parties indulging in defacing the public property, a HC division bench headed by Justice A S Oka ordered the BMC to remove all the illegal hoardings before the civic polls scheduled for February 21.
"All hoardings, posters, banners and skysigns and advertisements put up by the parties and their members without the permission license number and the duration period on them shall be removed forthwith by the civic body before the elections on 21 February," Justice Oka said.