'Name, Shame' Hoardings on Anti-CAA Protesters: Allahabad High Court to Deliver Verdict Tomorrow
The Allahabad High Court on Sunday ordered the UP government to remove hoardings put up in Lucknow "to name and shame" anti-CAA protesters.
Lucknow, March 8: The Allahabad High Court on Sunday reserved its verdict in the case related to naming and shaming of anti-CAA protesters. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha will now deliver the verdict on Monday afternoon. Earlier today, the High Court called the Uttar Pradesh government's move "highly unjust" and expressed hope that corrective action would be taken before the hearing begins in the afternoon.
"Good sense should prevail on the state and it must remove the hoardings before 3 pm and apprise the court about this at 3," the bench was quoted by LiveLaw as saying. Contrary to expectations, the hoardings were not removed. The District Magistrate and Divisional Police Commissioner have also been asked to explain the law under which the hoardings have been put up in Lucknow. The hoardings, carrying the addresses and photos of anti-CAA protesters, were put up at prominent intersections in Lucknow. Priyanka Gandhi Slams Yogi Adityanath Over Hoardings by UP Govt Featuring Anti-CAA Protesters.
When the UP government's counsel told the Allahabad High Court that those anti-CAA protesters are accused of damaging public properties, the bench responded: "Even if they are liable, you can't do this. You have to send individual notices." The judges observed that the Yogi Adityanath government's move was an absolute “encroachment” on personal liberty of the persons concerned.
In a bid to "shame" as many as 57 people, identified for being allegedly involved in violence during the anti-CAA protest, the Lucknow district administration earlier this week started putting up hoardings with their names and addresses. Those named were asked to pay for damage to public property during the protests in Lucknow, in which one person had died. The hoardings also say if the accused fails to pay up, their properties would be attached.
After violence broke out last December in Lucknow and other parts of the state, CM Adityanath had declared that his government would take "revenge" and attach the property of anyone involved in it.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 08, 2020 06:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).