Over the ‘name and shame’ hoardings case in which the Allahabad High Court ordered the immediate removal of the hoardings, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government moved the Supreme Court seeking a freeze on the order.
The case will be heard by the apex court tomorrow.
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The hoardings named those accused of violence during the protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It also included photos and other personal details of the accused in the violence.
Allahabad High Court had on Monday ordered the immediate removal of the hoardings, which the UP government had not complied with.
In around 100 hoardings which were at different intersections in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, some people were asked to pay for damage to public property and also warned of property attachment in case of non-compliance.
However, the judges had said that they are not concerned about the compensation, but the government’s disclosure of personal details of the accused persons.
The judges of the Allahabad High Court had cited the Right to Privacy as a fundamental human right recognised by the Supreme Court and said the government’s move was an unwarranted interference in privacy.
The court in its judgment had referred to the larger issue of the injury caused to the precious constitutional value and its shameless depiction by the administration.
Violent protest against the contentious CAA was witnessed by Uttar Pradesh that took the lives of around 22 people.
The installation of hoardings had attracted strong reactions from protesters, political parties, ordinary citizens, legal experts, and social activists, who slammed the idea of public shaming in this manner.
In one particular photograph put up on the hoardings, the photograph of a minor was also seen.
In January, a UP court, in a major setback for the government, had granted bail to 48 people accused of rioting and attempted murder by the state police during the violent December protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier in December said that his government will take revenge against those involved in the violence and will auction their properties to compensate for the losses.