GUWAHATI: A mural of Ladakh-based environmentalist and social activist Sonam Wangchuk, painted beneath the Basistha Chariali Flyover in Guwahati, was removed on Sunday, July 19, two days after it appeared.
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The artwork had been created by students of Guwahati Art College on a pillar of the Basistha Flyover as an expression of support for Wangchuk.
The removal comes amid the Guwahati Municipal Corporation's (GMC) ongoing drive against defacement of public property.
Earlier, the GMC had announced that anyone found putting up posters or defacing government walls, flyovers, electric poles, railings and other public infrastructure would face a fine of ₹5,000 as part of its campaign to keep the city clean and aesthetically appealing.
As part of the public awareness initiative, the civic body urged residents to refrain from damaging or defacing public spaces, emphasising that such public infrastructure belongs to the people and should be preserved collectively.
Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
The indefinite fast forms part of the CJP's wider protest campaign, which seeks accountability, a judicial inquiry into the alleged examination scam, and comprehensive reforms to the country's examination system.