Houses Bulldozed In UP: Ex-Judges & Senior Lawyers Write To CJI For Suo Motu Action

The letter said the recent remarks made by certain BJP spokespersons on Prophet Mohammed have resulted in protests in multiple parts of the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana (File Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Former judges and senior advocates have written to Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana and urged him to take suo motu cognizance of alleged incidents of illegal detention and bulldozing of residences in Uttar Pradesh, PTI reported. They also drew his attention to the police action on the protestors agitating against certain objectionable remarks made by “certain” BJP spokespersons.

“The letter petition is being presented as an urgent appeal to the Supreme Court of India to take cognisance of the recent incidents of violence and repression by state authorities on citizens of Uttar Pradesh,” the news agency quoted the letter signed by them.

The letter said the recent remarks made by certain BJP spokespersons on Prophet Mohammed have resulted in protests in multiple parts of the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

“Instead of giving protestors an opportunity of being heard and engaging in peaceful protests, the UP state administration appears to have sanctioned taking violent action against such individuals,” the letter petition said.

“The Chief Minister has reportedly officially exhorted officials to take such action against those guilty that it sets an example so that no one commits a crime or take the law into their hands in future,” the letter petition added.

The letter petition said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has further directed that the National Security Act, 1980, and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, be invoked against those found guilty of unlawful protests.

The letter petition added it is these remarks that have emboldened the police to brutally and unlawfully torture protestors.

Highlighting the Uttar Pradesh Police have pursuant to this “arrested more than 300 persons and registered FIRs against protesting citizens”, the letter petition said: “Videos of young men in police custody being beaten with lathis, houses of protestors being demolished without notice or any cause of action, and protestors from the minority Muslim community are chased and beaten by police, are circulating on social media, shaking the conscience of the nation.”

The letter petition said that such a brutal clampdown by a ruling administration is an unacceptable subversion of the rule of law and a violation of the rights of citizens, adding it makes a mockery of the Constitution and fundamental rights guaranteed by the state.

“The mettle of the judiciary is tested in such critical times. On many occasions, including in the recent past, the judiciary has faced such challenges and emerged with distinction as the custodian of the rights of the people. Some recent examples are suo motu actions taken by the Supreme Court in the migrant workers' matter and the Pegasus matter,” the letter petition added.

Stating that they “hope and trust the Supreme Court will rise to the occasion and not let the citizens and the constitution down at this critical juncture”, the letter petition further said: “In the same spirit, and its role as custodian of the constitution, we, therefore, urge the Supreme Court to take immediate suo motu action to arrest the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, specifically involving the high-handedness of the police and state authorities, and the brutal clampdown on the fundamental rights of the citizen.”

Former apex court judges Justices B. Sudarshan Reddy, V. Gopala Gowda and A.K. Ganguly besides former chief justice of the Delhi High Court A.P. Shah, former Madras High Court judge Justice K. Chandru and former Karnataka High Court judge Mohammed Anwar have signed the letter petition.

Senior advocates Shanti Bhushan, Indira Jaising, CU Singh, Sriram Panchu, Prashant Bhushan and Anand Grover are among the senior lawyers, who have signed the letter petition.