HC Verdict On Lucknow Hoardings Of Anti-CAA Protesters Today

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court will hear at 2 pm on Monday, the case related to hoardings of protesters in prominent places in the state capital, Lucknow of those who allegedly took part in violent incidents while demonstrating against anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December. The UP government put up these posters/hoardings with photographs, names and addresses of people alleged to have been involved in anti-CAA protests and sought damages to be paid by these individuals.

Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha, had on Sunday, called the action of the government an encroachment of public liberty. The Allahabad High Court took suo moto cognisance of the matter on Saturday and asked the District magistrate and Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow to inform the Court about the relevant law under which such posters and hoardings were displayed in the state capital. It heard the case on Sunday and reserved its verdict for Monday afternoon.

UP Advocate-General Raghvendra Pratap Singh argued before the High Court that it should not interview in this matter taking it up as a public interest litigation because those involved have caused damage to public and private property. The AG contended that putting up such hoardings would serve as a deterrent against such incidents of violence getting repeated.

Deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the government will present its case to the High Court and reply to the questions raised.

The Congress called it a victory for the constitution and demanded an apology from UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Civil rights activists, some of whose names had appeared on the poster said that there was a threat to their lives as their names and addresses have been displayed publicly.