Remove ‘name and shame’ CAA posters: Allahabad HC tells UP govt

The Allahabad High Court on Monday (March 9) ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to remove all hoardings featuring those who have been accused of violence during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests, in Lucknow, terming it an “insult of the state and its public”.

The court also asked the Lucknow administration to furnish a report in this regard to the registrar general by March 16.

The judgement comes a day after the high court slammed the Yogi Adityanath government for encroaching on the privacy of citizens by pasting their photos and personal details in public. These hoardings have triggered fear among the protesters for their safety.

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These protesters had also been asked by the government to pay for the damage they allegedly caused to public and private property before the deadline expires or have their properties seized by the administration.

The High Court also sought to know the government’s stand in this issue and held a special hearing on Sunday (March 8), which was supposed to be a court holiday.

According to NDTV, senior advocate KK Rai quoted Justice Govind Mathur as saying, “By pasting pictures like this, you are impinging on privacy, respect and freedom, and this appears to be an illegal move. Before the advocate general comes, it would be better if the government acts to rectify this.”

The bench also said the act was “highly unjust” and that it was an “absolute encroachment” on the personal liberty of the persons concerned.