Former judges write to Supreme Court against UP administration
Citing reports of violence and repression by the authorities on citizens in Uttar Pradesh, the petitioners observed that instead of giving protesters an opportunity of being heard, the U.P. administration appears to have sanctioned violent actions against them.
New Delhi: Urging Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the recent acts of bulldozing residences of those who protested in Prayagraj against the objectionable remarks made by certain BJP spokespersons against Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him), six former judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts and six senior advocates filed a petition.
Justices B. Sudarshan Reddy, V. Gopala Gowda, A.K. Ganguly, A.P. Shah, K. Chandru and Mohammed Anwar, and veteran advocates Shanti Bhushan, Indira Jaisingh, Chander Uday Singh, Sriram Panchu, Prashant Bhushan and Anand Grover signed the petition. The Hindu reported.
Citing reports of violence and repression by the authorities on citizens in Uttar Pradesh, the petitioners observed that instead of giving protesters an opportunity of being heard, the U.P. administration appears to have sanctioned violent actions against them.
The petition deplored that the State Chief Minister had directed that the National Security Act, 1980, and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, be invoked against the protesters.
The petition read, “Videos of young men in police custody being beaten with lathis, houses of protesters being demolished without notice or any cause of action, and protesters from the minority Muslim community being chased and beaten by the police, are circulating on social media, shaking the conscience of the nation. Such a brutal clampdown by a ruling administration is an unacceptable subversion of the rule of law.”
The petition termed the crackdown against Muslims as violation of the rights of citizens and mockery of the Constitution and fundamental rights guaranteed by the State. It called the demolitions a form of collective extra judicial punishment and illegal.
Claiming that the mettle of the judiciary is tested in such critical times, the petition urged the Supreme Court to take immediate suo motu action to arrest the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. It also urged Supreme Court to stop the high-handedness of the police and state authorities and the brutal clampdown on the fundamental rights of citizens.
