HC pulls up UP on banners showing protesters’ photos
Court should not interfere in such matters, move will act as deterrent: State
PRAYAGRAJ: Uttar Pradesh’s decision to put up banners and hoardings with photos of those suspected to be involved in violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, is an “encroachment” on personal liberty, the Allahabad high court said on Sunday. The court is likely to pronounce its order at 2pm on Monday.
A division bench of chief justice Govind Mathur and justice Ramesh Sinha also said it was a “highly unjust” move that insulted “the state and its public”.
Advocate general Raghvendra Pratap Singh, who appeared for the state, said the court should not interfere in such matters by taking suo motu cognisance of the government’s actions. Singh said the action was targeted at those who damaged properties, arguing that the state’s move will act as a “deterrent”.
PRAYAGRAJ: The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to put up placards and hoardings with photos of those suspected to be involved in violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, is an “encroachment” on personal liberty, the Allahabad high court observed on Sunday.
The court, which took suo motu cognisance of the matter, is likely to pronounce its order on Monday afternoon.
In the morning, a division bench of chief justice Govind Mathur and justice Ramesh Sinha pulled up the government for putting up the placards and hoardings in capital Lucknow, saying it was a “highly unjust” move that “insulted the state and its public”.
The placards and hoardings have photographs of people who the government says took part in violent protests against CAA in Lucknow in December, and also mention an amount of over ~1 crore that is to be recovered collectively for damages to public and private properties.
Twenty-one people died in the violence over three days (December 19-21) across the state, according to government data. There was no data available on if anyone died in police firing and how many were killed by rioters. The government has not given estimates of damage to properties. The police have registered around 300 FIRS and arrested some 1,200 people.
Advocate general Raghvendra Pratap Singh, who appeared for the state, said the court should not interfere in such matters by taking suo motu cognisance of the government’s actions.
Singh said the action was targeted at those who damaged properties, arguing that the state’s move will act as a “deterrent” and ensure that such vandalism does not take place in the future.
On Saturday, the court asked Lucknow district magistrate
Abhishek Prakash and divisional commissioner Mukesh Meshram to inform it about the law under which such placards and hoardings were put up.
On Sunday, when the court took up the matter at 10 am, additional advocate general Neeraj Tripathi informed it that the advocate general will represent the state. The court then directed that it will hear the case at 3pm.
When the court resumed hearing, the advocate general informed it about the government’s stand. After hearing his arguments, the court reserved its order, which is expected to be delivered at 2pm on Monday.
The police on Thursday put up the posters and hoardings across Lucknow with photographs of the suspects in the December violence. The names and residential addresses of these people, who the police have identified as trouble-makers, are also mentioned in the hoardings. The accused have been asked to pay for damages to properties within a stipulated period or prepare to have their properties seized by the district administration.