HC pulls up AP government over panchayat buildings being painted in party colours

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh High Court came down heavily on the state government over its attitude in the issue related to painting the panchayat offices in YSRCP colours. The government pleader (GP) said the colours were different from the YSRCP party’s colours. Expressing dissatisfaction over his reply, the High Court Bench clarified that the court can adjudicate the colours.

During the arguments on this issue, the High Court, on 5 February, also asked the state why Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s photos were put up on panchayat office buildings. To this, the GP said it was because the CM was in a constitutional post. Irked with the reply, the court asked the GP why photographs of the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India were not on the Parliament House and Supreme Court.

The court also asked whether such tradition existed anywhere else. Since the Election Commission has no role to play at this juncture, the High Court has said that a proper decision in this regard will be taken by the court itself. The Bench also directed the GP to submit flags of both TDP and YSRCP before the High Court. The case has been posted to Thursday for further arguments.

It may be noted that the principal opposition TDP has already raised serious objections over panchayat buildings being painted in the YSRCP colours. The party's national general secretary and former minister Nara Lokesh had tweeted, “Forget changing names or colours of NCBN’s schemes/projects,@ysjagan’s Government is now replacing Indian Tricolours on Government buildings, with YSR Congress party colours. What next. Replacing our National Anthem and Telugu Talli song with Party songs? Downright disgusting!!”