The Yogi Adityanath government on Friday passed an ordinance to recover damage to public and private properties in any violent protest or demonstration from the miscreants. The Uttar Pradesh recovery of damage to public and private property ordinance 2020 was cleared in the cabinet meeting chaired by UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Friday.

Speaking to India Today TV, UP cabinet minister and state government spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said, "Supreme Court(SC) in 2011 said that if a government or private property is damaged in any demonstration or protest, stringent law should be made for its prevention. Our government earlier issued an order but the SC, while hearing the anti-CAA hoardings matter, asked us under which law such action has been taken. Based on that we have brought an ordinance which will subsequently be converted into a law."

Hoarding with anti-CAA protesters details put up in Lucknow (PTI image)

Responding to the cabinet's decision, Samajwadi Party leader Anurag Bhadauriya said, "This government is acting like a dictator and is violating the order issued by the court. The ordinance brought by the government is anti-people and this has been cleared just to fulfill the ego of the present regime."

The high court had last week ordered the removal of hoardings put up in Lucknow featuring the names, pictures and addresses of anti-CAA protesters who were booked for the violent protest against the citizenship law on December 19 last year. The state has approached the apex court against the high court's order.

The SC, while hearing this matter, asked the government under which law the hoardings have been placed and referred this case to a larger bench.

Apart from the property damage and recovery ordinance, the state cabinet also approved the construction of multi-storey parking in the Allahabad High Court, three-tier security arrangements in the courts, uniformity in the construction of police lines, barracks, police stations and fire stations in the state.

The cabinet also cleared proposal of renovating 23 bus stations on the PPP model and creation of consolidated sinking fund based on the recommendations by the central finance commission and state accountant general.