The buses carry paintings of four leaves which look like two sets of the ruling AIADMK's party symbol, the two leaves.
Chennai:
A new fleet of small buses by the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu has kicked up a controversy. These buses carry paintings of four leaves which look like two sets of the ruling AIADMK's party symbol, the two leaves.
The DMK, one of the opposition parties, attempted to raise the issue in the Tamil Nadu assembly, but the Speaker did not permit them on Friday.
The party's Spokesperson and MP T K S Elangovan told NDTV, "It's a blatant misuse of government machinery for political gain. Imagine how much it would cost the government if the Election Commission directs the government to paint all these buses during elections".
Two years ago, the renovated structure at the MGR memorial in Chennai too was challenged on similar grounds. The giant arch at the entrance resembles two leaves. But the ruling AIADMK told the court that these are wings of Pegasus, the flying horse. They argued that the structure is not the approved two leaves symbol allotted by the election commission.
Some critics say this is a kind of misuse of public property for party propaganda.
During the last assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission directed the then Mayawati government to cover all the 130 giant statues of elephants the state government had erected as memorials. Elephant is her party's symbol.
When NDTV contacted Tamil Nadu authorities and the state transport minister, they refrained from commenting.
The DMK, one of the opposition parties, attempted to raise the issue in the Tamil Nadu assembly, but the Speaker did not permit them on Friday.
The party's Spokesperson and MP T K S Elangovan told NDTV, "It's a blatant misuse of government machinery for political gain. Imagine how much it would cost the government if the Election Commission directs the government to paint all these buses during elections".
Two years ago, the renovated structure at the MGR memorial in Chennai too was challenged on similar grounds. The giant arch at the entrance resembles two leaves. But the ruling AIADMK told the court that these are wings of Pegasus, the flying horse. They argued that the structure is not the approved two leaves symbol allotted by the election commission.
Some critics say this is a kind of misuse of public property for party propaganda.
During the last assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission directed the then Mayawati government to cover all the 130 giant statues of elephants the state government had erected as memorials. Elephant is her party's symbol.
When NDTV contacted Tamil Nadu authorities and the state transport minister, they refrained from commenting.
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