The Allahabad High Court on Monday ordered the removal of roadside posters having information and photographs of people allegedly involved in the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which were displayed in Lucknow. The Allahabad High Court also directed the district magistrate of Lucknow and police commissioner to submit a compliance report by March 16.
The state police had put up several hoardings across Lucknow identifying those accused of violence during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December last year.
The bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha had taken suo motu cognisance of the posters on March 7. The posters had photographs and information of people, who were asked to pay compensation for damage to property during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment )Act. The Uttar Pradesh government had told the Allahabad High Court the posters were put up as a "deterrent" action and the court should not interfere in such a matter.
Taking up the matter on Sunday, the Allahabad High Court termed the action of Uttar Pradesh authorities as "highly unjust" and said it was an absolute encroachment on personal liberty of individuals. Advocate General Raghvendra Pratap Singh contended that the court should not interfere in such matter as a public interest litigation, as those involved had damaged public and private property.
The names, photographs and residential addresses of the accused were listed in the hoardings and they were asked to pay for the damage to public and private property within a stipulated time or have their properties seized by the district administration. Activist Sadaf Jafar, lawyer Mohammed Shoiab and former IPS officer S.R. Darapuri were among those whose faces figured on the posters.
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Many of these people said they feared for their safety.
Interestingly, a spokesperson for the Uttar Pradesh government had claimed the posters were put up following a directive from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The posters were put up at prominent intersections in Lucknow, including the main cross in the busy Hazratganj area and the state Assembly.