When a common man displays a banner or posters without municipal permission, heavy fine is levied. In some cases even FIRs are also registered.
We civilians take permission to promote events, location permissions to enact social awareness nukkad natak, and pay the attached fees.
The Supreme Court (SC) has also held in its various judgement that posters should be regulated for both public and private properties since public life is affected under both the circumstances.
The Delhi High Court too, in one of its judgments, held that for putting up unlicensed posters and banners, no parallel can be drawn with the right to freedom of speech and expression.
I did not find any stringent central law for defacement of public property. The oldest law being from 1985 and the youngest law belongs to 2007 (The Punjab Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007).
I did not find any such law or case law for Gujarat.
It is a request to all political workers, set a civic example. Take permission from Municipality, allocate specific sites earmarked for promotion. After prescribed days, please remove all authorised advertisements and become a shining example of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’.
