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Journalism of Courage
HOURS AFTER a poster displaying images of Iran’s former supreme leader late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei was put up in Loni Kalbhor area on the outskirts of Pune, it was taken down on the directions of the local gram panchayat because it was put up without prior permission.
Police officials said the poster was displayed by members of a local community with Iranian roots to mark the month of Muharram. A police officer from Pune City police said the poster was displayed on the metal arch at the entrance of a residential area in Kadamwak Wasti in Loni Kalbhor, which has a large number of residents of Iranian roots.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) Rajkumar Shinde said, “The local police station received information about a poster which had images of Iran’s leaders. We found out that it was put up to mark the month of Muharram. It also came to light that no permission was taken to put up this poster. The gram panchayat took down the poster.” Officials said that poster was put up some time in the early hours of Sunday and was taken off later during the day.
An officer of Kadamwak Vasti Gram Panchayat said, “When we checked with the members of the community who had put up the posters, they said the poster carried images of past and present supreme leaders of Iran and had a message marking Muharram. But given the current situation with regards to Iran, some people expressed concerns. We subsequently informed the local police officials. And because no prior permission of the gram panchayat or police was taken, the poster was removed in police presence. No law-and-order issue was reported from the area.”
