UP govt slams Gujarat over removal of Akhilesh posters

The Uttar Pradesh government has lodged a protest with the Gujarat government over removal of around 60 'UP Rising' posters and hoardings put up on the route from Ahmadabad airport to Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas venue, while describing the move as "illegal".
According to advisor to UP government's NRI department, over 150 NRIs of UP origin have already registered themselves for the event, in which the UP government would showcase its initiatives for the welfare of NRIs as well as highlight government's agenda for development.
UP Principal Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal has shot off a letter to his Gujarat counterpart, drawing his attention to Ahmadabad Municipal Corporation's move of removing 60 such publicity materials publicising development initiatives of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the upcoming event in Ahmadabad.

"They (AMC) also warned the agency which had put up the hoardings that they should remove the remaining ones or face consequences," Sehgal said in the letter.
The Principal Secretary demanded that Gujarat authorities issue instructions to rectify the "mistake".
"The agency involved in preparing posters had due permission from the civic body," he said.

"Removing the posters or warning the advertisers to remove displays of the UP Government is not only illegal but also creates a perception of harassment to the agencies of other states," he said in the missive.
UP government's information department had put up around 100 "UP Rising" hoardings from the airport to the PBD venue in Gandhinagar which were to stay till January 15.

The 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) was inaugurated in Gandhinagar today.
The UP chief minister is also expected to address a special session of the PBD on January 9. He will also interact with prominent NRIs and ask them to invest in the state.