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cting governor Sumarsono says his administration has taken down 651 provocative banners across the capital.

Officers found 165 banners in West Jakarta, 155 in Central Jakarta, 138 in North Jakarta, 104 in South Jakarta and seven in Thousand Islands.

“We will continue the crackdown,” Sumarsono said at City Hall on Monday.

Sumarsono said public order officers would ask residents to voluntarily remove the banners. “Otherwise, our officers will take down the banners in order to uphold the bylaw [on public order],” he said.

In the heated campaign season ahead of the Jakarta gubernatorial runoff election on April 19, several mosques in the city have put up banners emblazoned with messages calling on Muslims not to perform funeral prayers for deceased Muslims who supported incumbent Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who is a Christian of Chinese descent.