The RJD has questioned the district administration’s recent diktat to remove all hoardings from Patna’s roads.

Patna district magistrate N. Saravana Kumar’s directive talks about removing all hoardings with immediate effect.

The “sudden” instruction from the district administration on Thursday has raised quite a few eyebrows.

RJD leaders are even calling it a well-laid plan by the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance to disrupt their ambitious rally, scheduled for May 15.

The reason they are so worked up is the Adhikar Rally the JD(U) had called last November at Gandhi Maidan — the same venue where RJD is holding its rally now.

“Nitish Kumar had his yatra at Gandhi Maidan last year and even during his rally lots of hoardings came up at the same places where we are putting up hoardings now. The number of hoardings and posters during JD(U)’s rally far outnumber ours.

Why didn’t the district administration react the way it is doing now?” RJD state president Ram Chandra Purbey asked.

He said: “It seems that the hoardings that the JD(U) or the BJP put up at the same venue didn’t hamper vision nor do they invite accidents or danger. It is obvious under whose directions the district administration is acting. All this is happening because the JD(U) is afraid of the RJD. They know very well that Lalu Prasad is the leader of the masses. However, they should also know that removing the posters would not help, as Lalu Prasad lives in the hearts of the people. Moreover, the fact that the district administration has not taken any step to ensure a smooth Parivartan Yatra justifies my doubt.”

When asked about the allegations of the RJD, the DM said: “There are certain norms regarding putting up of hoardings. When people flout them, the district administration must act. As a result, instructions have been given to the Patna Municipal Corporation to remove all the hoardings that have come up near the roundabouts and on the road dividers. While hoardings around the roundabouts spoil the beauty of it, the ones on the dividers obstruct the vision of commuters, which invite accidents. The directive is apolitical.”

On the other hand, the JD(U) was prompt in retorting to the RJD’s bias allegations.

“There cannot be any room for bias as is being alleged. At the time of the Adhikar Rally, it was Nitish Kumar who had asked for the removal of the posters and hoardings of the JD(U) in Patna. The RJD’s allegations are baseless,” said JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Sanjay Singh.