Comply with HC order, affected tell U.P. govt.

Court had ordered immediate removal of ‘name and shame’ hoardings in Lucknow

Commuters walk past a billboard installed by Uttar Pradesh authorities displaying pictures, names and addresses of people accused of vandalism during deadly protests in December against a contentious citizenship law, in Lucknow on March 9, 2020. - An Indian court on March 9 ordered the removal of scores of "name and shame" billboards after an outcry over their photos showing people accused of vandalism in deadly protests. The huge images have been erected over recent days by authorities in Uttar Pradesh, a state run by Yogi Adityanath, who is a controversial hardline Hindu monk from the ruling party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo by STR / AFP)

Those featuring on the ‘name and shame’ hoardings in Lucknow on Thursday hoped that the administration would comply with the Allahabad High Court direction and remove the controversial hoardings soon after the Supreme Court did not stay the High Court order.

While terming it an “unwarranted interference in privacy” of people and a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, the High Court on Monday had directed the Lucknow administration to “forthwith” remove the controversial ‘name and shame’ roadside hoardings of those arrested during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act last December. The court also asked the Lucknow District Magistrate to submit a compliance report by March 16.

However, the government challenged the order in the apex court and is yet to remove the hoardings.

“The government should not make it a matter of ego. We are not absconders. I appeal the government to honour the HC order,” said theatre personality Deepak Kabir.

He, however, added that he was not too optimistic that the government would comply with the High Court order, which came after a Division Bench heard the matter suo motu.

He is among the 57 persons whose names, photographs and residential addresses have been highlighted on hoardings put up by the administration at prominent intersections in Lucknow.

‘Families at risk’

Those on the hoardings have said exposure of their personal details in the public domain puts them and their families at risk.

Retired IPS officer S.R. Darapuri, who is also on the hoardings, welcomed that the apex court did not grant the State a stay against the High Court order and hoped the administration would remove them before March 16.