The Hindu : New Delhi News : Decision to remove photographs flayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Decision to remove photographs flayed

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 27. The Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary, Arun Jaitley, has strongly disapproved of the Government's reported move to remove all photographs of former the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, from the sky boards on national highways being built under the National Highways Development Project.

"This is part of a series of actions taken by the United Progressive Alliance Government that smacks of arrogance and intolerance," Mr. Jaitley said, adding that this was "another bad precedence for the future," the first being the sacking of Governors appointed by the previous regime. Such an attitude would also encourage future governments to remove names and photographs of leaders of rival parties from various hoardings and signboards.

`Confrontationist path'

The BJP sees the removal of Mr. Vajpayee's photographs as yet another signal that the Government is deliberately provoking the Opposition and is on "a confrontationist path."

Mr. Jaitley said that it was not right to replace Mr. Vajpayee's photographs with that of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and then, at a future date, some new government might again change them. Reports suggest that Rs. 48 crores were spent on Mr. Vajpayee's portraits on the sky boards across national highways and it would cost the exchequer just short of Rs. 2 crores to remove them.However, official sources in the Prime Minister's Office clarified today that there was no question of Dr. Manmohan Singh's portraits going up on the sky boards. "The Prime Minister has given strict instructions that his photographs are not to be put up even in Government offices. He is totally against this." In short, the highway sky boards will henceforth carry only relevant information on directions, distance from next city, and so on, it was clarified officially.Another issue, which Mr. Jaitley spoke about today, was the recent Bombay High Court order imposing a fine of Rs. 20 lakhs each on the BJP and the Shiv Sena for having called a `bandh' following some blasts in the city. Mr. Jaitley said that while the party would appeal against this in the Supreme Court, there were political aspects to the judgment, which all parties should address.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi