Pune Cantonment Board removes Congress party hoardings saying 'Go Back Modi'

The Anti Encroachment Squad of Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) on Saturday evening removed the black coloured’ Go Back Modi ’ hoardings put up by the Congress City Unit on Saturday to express protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A team of NPS squad members first removed the black coloured hoarding at Pul Gate Petrol Pump and through its anti encroachment crane around 5.30 pm. They later went to other chowks and pulled down all the hoardings which left the Congress angered.

The PCB squad and some policemen present on the spot tried to dissuade this reporter from clicking pictures of the hoarding removal drive. The official told this correspondent that they were sandwiched between the centre and the state.The hoardings put up near Cantonment Court, Pul Gate and East Street were torn and removed while the BJP sponsored hoardings in the area remained intact.PCB CEO Amit Kumar could not be reached for his comments. Currently, PCB has a BJP nominated member in the board. Traditionally, the Congress had a strong upper hand in the Pune Cantonment area for decades together till its sitting MLA Ramesh Bagwe was defeated by the BJP. He represented the constituency from 2009 to 2014 when he was defeated by BJP’s Dilip Kamble. All the 62 cantonments including PCB are under direct control of the Ministry of Defence, New Delhi.

Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi said “ The act of removal of hoardings criticizing PM Modi shows that he is afraid of the citizens. We strongly condemn the act of removing hoardings of Congress Party by the PCB. The hoarding praising Modi are still displayed and no action has been taken against them. The anti democratic behavior shown by the BJP proves that Modi believes in implementing Hitlerian agenda and not democracy ,” he said. Joshi further said that black flags will be waved at PM Modi during his visit to Pune on Saturday.

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Deputy Commissioner (License & Sky Sign) Vijay Landge said “ The hoarding criticizing PM Modi have been removed as per the orders as they had been put up without taking permission. We have directions from the administration to remove those hoardings ,” he said. Hoardings stating “ PM Modi should apologize to Maharashtra for defaming Chhtrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Maharashtra ”were erected at strategic locations in the city by the Congress Party. PMC is under the control of BJP headed by mayor Muralidhar Mohol. The entire city has been plastered with pictures eulogizing PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Pune on Sunday (6 March) and inaugurate a 12 km stretch of the total 32.2 km Pune metro rail project. PM Modi will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects in Pune City. The PM is scheduled to unveil the 9.5 feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the premises of the PMC on Sunday morning.