Posters refer to BJP leaders as ‘rioters’ and ask when they would pay damages

The Uttar Pradesh police have booked two Congress workers for allegedly putting up posters displaying the “criminal records” of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya and several other BJP leaders at different places in Lucknow.

The two were identified as Sudhanshu Bajpai and Lalu Kanaujia. Mr. Bajpai’s friends said the police had picked him up from his house late on Saturday.

The contentious posters put up in the heart of Lucknow bear the name of the two Congress workers.

Also read: U.P. police book Lucknow CAA protesters

The posters refer to the BJP leaders as ‘rioters’ and ask when they would pay damages, in an apparent response to the hoardings put up by the State government displaying personal details of those accused of vandalism during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act last December.

“Janta Mange Jawaab: In Dangaiyo se vasooli kab” (The public want to know: when will these rioters pay for the damages?) read the headline of the poster.

The posters also feature BJP leaders and the accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots MLA Sangeet Som, MP Sanjeev Balyan, MLA Umesh Malik and UP Minister Suresh Rana apart from Gorakhpur MLA Radha Mohan Das Agarwal.

The police alleged that the two Congress workers had put up the posters allegedly to spoil social harmony and spread disaffection as part of a ‘conspiracy’.

Also read | Now, police banners in Lucknow show anti-CAA protesters accused of violence

As per the FIR lodged at the Hazratganj police station, the posters carried objectionable and derogatory material and ‘malicious’ words to spread ‘disaffection’ and hatred in society.

The two have been booked under IPC Section 505 (1) (b), intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or public tranquillity.

Sections 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and 12 (3) of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 were also slapped on them and an unknown printing press owner. The posters did not reveal the name of the printing press.