Page 34 - 15MAR2020E

Yogi govt takes ordinance

route to recover damages

Move comes after both the Supreme Court and the High Court pulled up the state government over
non-existence of any law for putting posters at prominent locations of Lucknow displaying details of
anti-CAA protesters for allegedly damaging public and private properties, reports mudit mathur

ogi Adityanath-led BJP zance of government’s action and called through banners. The banners came up
government in the Uttar it to defend it. The bench heardsubmis- at a major roadside with personal details
Pradesh has now promul- sions of Advocate General Raghavendra of more than 50 persons of those accused
gated an ordinance with an Singh and passed a detailed order di- of vandalism during protest in the month
Y aim to overcome shocks of recting the UP government to remove of December, 2019. The poster seek com-
frequent rebukes from Supreme Court forthwith such posters and hoardings pensation from the accused persons and
and High Court. Both the courts pulled displayed along the roadsides and prom- further to confiscate their property, if
up the government over non-existence inent crossings of the state’s capital con- they failed to pay compensation.
of any law for putting posters and hoard- taining the names and addresses of anti- The High Court also directed the gov-
ings on the roadside and prominent CAA protesters, including a former IPS ernment to submit a compliance report
crossings of Lucknow displaying pictures officer and many human rights activists. before the court on or before March 16,
and addresses of protesters for allegedly Drawing suo moto public interest 2020.
damaging public and private proper- writ proceedings at its own, the High The Yogi government did not relent
ties in violence during anti-Citizenship Court puts the simple question about the to court’s directives and immediately
Amendment Act (CAA) protests. legitimacy of the display of photographs, challenged High Court’s orders before
The chief justice of Allahabad High name and address of certain persons by a vacation bench of Supreme Court but
Court Justice Govind Mathur and Justice the district administration and police the court though referred the matter to
Ramesh Sinha took the suomotu cogni- administration of the city of Lucknow a larger bench and decline to stay the