Chennai, Jul 19 (IANS): The ruling DMK has directed its cadres and lower-level leaders not to put up hoardings and banners that cause inconvenience to the general public.

Party organising secretary and Rajya Sabha MP R.S.Bharathi in a statement on Sunday released to the party functionaries and cadres said that strict action would be taken against those who violate the directive. The DMK leader also said that several accidents had taken place in the state resulting in the death of motorists and pedestrians following visibility loss due to the huge hoardings and banners erected on the roads during the previous AIADMK regime.

The DMK leader said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had insisted party cadres and functionaries not to follow the culture of hoardings and banners and instead focus on the well-being of people at the grassroots.

Bharathi in the statement said, "Our leader M.K. Stalin was the first among the political leaders to give a written undertaking before the Madras High Court that banners or hoardings would not be put up by the DMK. Most of the party functionaries and cadres are abiding by that, but there are still a few people who are putting these up as a show of exhibitionism and this will not be permitted at any cost. Strict action will be taken against all those who violate this principle."

He also called upon the party functionaries not to erect any banners without permission and said that the party headquarters will be strictly monitoring the situation.

The DMK leader has directed all the district secretaries of the party to communicate the message to the lower-level leaders and called upon them to monitor the situation strictly.

A senior leader of the DMK said, "Party headquarters has received complaints from some parts of Tamil Nadu regarding the erection of hoardings and hence the comment from the organising secretary. The Chief Minister has been insisting on the party men not to indulge in the culture of hoardings and the party is strictly into this."

The Greater Chennai Corporation is also into a massive drive to clear posters pasted on even private walls and on bridges and other public properties. The city has already banned erecting of any hoardings and officials are swooping down on all those who are violating.

Saravanan, a trader in Chennai while speaking to IANS said, "The political parties should ensure that their functionaries and cadres are not indulging in hoarding culture. The hoardings have resulted in motorists losing their visibility while maneuvering curves and ending up in accidents. This has to be curbed at any cost and the DMK initiative is good and I think all political parties must follow this novel step."