Allahabad HC order on anti-CAA protesters hoardings is landmark: BSP

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National Spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria on Tuesday hailed the Allahabad High Court order asking for the removal of hoardings put up by Uttar Pradesh government, with names, addresses and photos of those who were accused of violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Speaking on the issue, Sudhindra Bhadoria told ANI: "Allahabad High Court judgment is a landmark decision because it has protected those who are trying to defend the Constitution of India. The Constitution, as provided to the Indians by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, had guaranteed civil liberties and democratic rights to all individuals and citizens of this country."

"I would like to say that the government should learn from it that they should not try and suppress the democratic rights of the people. The fundamental rights are provided under article 19 of the Constitution of India. We hail the decision of the Allahabad High Court," Bhadoria added.

The Allahabad High Court had on ordered the Uttar Pradesh Police to remove hoardings displaying photographs of those accused of destroying public property during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests held in the state in December last year.

"In entirety, we have no doubt that the action of the state which is a subject matter of this public interest litigation is nothing but an unwarranted interference in the privacy of people. The same, hence, is in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the court held.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the hoardings on Sunday, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government and termed the act "highly unjust" and an "encroachment on personal liberty".