SC gives AP govt 4 weeks to remove YSRC colors; re-paint buildings

Vijayawada: The Supreme Court, on 3 June, upheld the Andhra Pradesh High Court's order directing the YSRCP-led state government to remove the colour of political parties from government buildings. The state has four weeks to comply with the apex court's orders.

In March, the High Court had directed the Andhra Pradesh government to remove the ruling YSRCP's colours from all government buildings and asked the chief secretary to submit evidence of implementation of the order. The High Court was hearing a PIL filed by Muppa Venkateswara Rao of the Pallapadu area in Guntur district challenging the government’s decision to paint panchayat offices in the party colours.

The YSRCP government, led by Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy, has painted panchayat offices, village secretaries, Anganwadi school buildings, water tanks, and several other public buildings in the ruling party's colours.

Dismissing the AP government's petition that the government buildings are not painted in the YSRCP's colours, the Supreme Court said the AP High Court's decision was clear and gave the state four weeks to remove the colours from government establishments.