Lucknow: Congress’ poster rebuttal against Yogi government move to name and shame the Anti-CAA protesters, cost dearly to six people, including two Congress members, who were booked by Lucknow police Sunday for putting up a poster outside the State BJP head-quarters and other prominent places in Lucknow.
The police alleged that the two Congress workers, Sudhanshu Bajpayi and Lalu Kanojia in whose name the posters were printed, erected the posters to spoil social harmony as part of a ‘conspiracy’. Bajpayi was arrested Sunday.
The posters put up by Congress members on Saturday carried large photographs of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and lists their “criminal records” including riots charges.
Six other riot accused BJP leaders – Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana, Sanjeev Balyan, Sadhvi Prachi, Umesh Malik and Radha Mohan Das Singh – were also displayed in the posters.
With the headline, “The public wants to know, when will money be recovered from these rioters”, posters were put up across major crossings in Lucknow including State BJP head quarters in front of the UP Assembly.
They were charged under multiple sections including Section 505 (1) (b) of the Indian Penal Code (‘statements conducing to public mischief with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility’).
They have also been charged under Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Section 12 (3) of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 and the Press and Registration Books Act of 1867.
Interestingly, on Friday the Samajwadi Party spokesperson IP Singh also put up hoardings with pictures of former BJP MLA and rape convict Kuldip Singh Sengar and former BJP Union minister and rape accused Chinmayanand right next to banners with pictures and personal details of anti-CAA protesters.
His posters were removed but he wasn’t booked by the police.
The UP government’s “name and shame” hoardings of anti-CAA activists have been termed as illegal by the Allahabad High court and even by the supreme court last week.
The apex court had deferred the matter to a larger bench for hearing this week while the HC had ordered their removal and submit a compliance report by Monday.
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