BJP leaders, MNS worker apologise for illegal hoardings

BJP MLAs Ashish Shelar, Parag Alavani and MNS party worker Sachin Gunjar on Friday tendered an unconditional apology for putting up illegal hoardings across the city and deposited the penalty of Rs 3.6 lakh to the Bombay high court.

All these political leaders admitted through their lawyers that they had put up hoardings and banners without the permission of the civic authorities and tendered an unconditional apology. They also assured the court that they would not do so in the future. However, the court asked the respondents to file an undertaking to this effect.

Mr Shelar gave three cheques — two of Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 20,000 towards the chief minister’s relief fund and one for Rs 25,000 towards the commissioner’s fund of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Also, BJP MLA Parag Alavani forked out a cheque of Rs 40,000. MNS party worker Sachin Gunjar submitted a cheque of Rs 25,000 towards ‘Naam Foundation’, which works for the welfare of drought-hit farmers in the state. Five others who belong to other political parties deposited cheques of Rs 20,000 each towards ‘Naam Foundation’. The cheques were given pursuant to an order passed by a division bench of Justices A.S. Oka and C.V. Bhadang on February 18 imposing costs on these party workers for putting up illegal hoardings and banners in the city.

Mr Shelar stated that he had warned his party workers that if such hoardings were put up, they would be suspended.