Uttar Pradesh government seeks time to remove posters of 'anti-CAA protesters'

The HC had set March 16, Monday, as the deadline for the UP government to remove the hoardings and file a compliance report to the court’s registrar general.
The Allahabad HC had ruled that the hoardings infringe on the personal liberty of the alleged protesters. (Photo | EPS)
The Allahabad HC had ruled that the hoardings infringe on the personal liberty of the alleged protesters. (Photo | EPS)

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday filed an affidavit in Allahabad High Court, seeking more time to remove the ‘name and shame’ hoardings from Lucknow.

The hoardings, put up by Lucknow’s district authorities and bearing names of the alleged CAA protesters from whom the government wants to recover the cost of public properties destroyed, invited censure from the high court. They bear names and pictures of 57 ‘protesters’ accused of damaging public property during the showdown against the vexed amended citizenship law in the city on December 19 and 20, last year.

The HC had set March 16, Monday, as the deadline for the UP government to remove the hoardings and file a compliance report to the court’s registrar general.

The UP government, in its affidavit, said it should be given more time to remove the hoardings as the matter is in the Supreme Court. However, the hearing on the affidavit couldn’t be held due to the ongoing lawyers’ strike.

The HC took a suo motu cognizance of the case on March 7 and, in a special hearing on March 9, a two-judge division bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha, directed Lucknow’s district magistrate and police commissioner to have the hoardings removed.

Apart from their names and pictures, the hoardings also display the residential addresses of the alleged CAA protesters. The court ruled that the hoardings were in violation of Article 21, as well as an infringement on the personal liberty and right to privacy of the persons concerned. However, the state government moved the Supreme Court on March 11, challenging the HC ruling. 

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