‘Missing’ Posters In Bengaluru Taking Dig At K'taka Minister Sparks Legal Action, FIR Registered

Bengaluru: 'Missing' posters of Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda in Bengaluru’s Byatarayanapura area triggered a political row after locals found several such posters pasted on roadside electrical transformers and walls on Sunday morning.

The posters seem to take an indirect dig at the Karnataka minister, apparently implying that he was absent from fulfilling his duties. It was not immediately known who had pasted these posters, though it seemed to be a form of public protest.

In response to the targeted campaign, the Bengaluru police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified individuals responsible for the act.

The posters claimed that the minister had neglected his constituency and remained absent from essential grievance-redressal sessions.

The Amruthahalli Police launched an investigation and filed a complaint against the Assistant Engineer of the Byatarayanapura ward. According to the complaint, the act was not merely a political statement but a violation of civic norms and judicial mandates. 

Officials noted that the installation of posters on the infrastructure, such as transformers, posed operational hazards. The complaint further asserts that this action constitutes a violation of the Karnataka High Court's standing order against vandalising public spaces.

The "missing" poster campaign comes when the opposition has been stepping up its pressure on the Revenue Minister. 

While residents in the Kogilu Layout area reportedly expressed frustration over pending civic issues, the Congress party has viewed the posters as an attempt by political rivals to tarnish the image of a minister regarded as one of the "cleanest" faces in the state cabinet.

The Amruthahalli police scanned the CCTV footage from the areas where the posters were found to identify the individuals involved. 

Authorities have warned that strict action will be taken against those found guilty of defacing public property under the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.

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