Lucknow: The Lucknow district administration on Thursday evening put up hoardings with photos and addresses of 53 anti-CAA protesters at prominent crossings across the city. The hoardings include pictures of Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas, retired IPS SR Darapuri and Congress leader Sadaf Jafar, all of whom were named as accused in the violence that swept the state capital on December 19 last year.

Addressing the media, Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said: “The hoardings of people who have been identified by the district administration for indulging in violent activities during the protest have been put up across the city. Around 100 such hoardings will be put up at several places and these will feature the pictures, names and addresses of people. Also, people indulging in violence have been served recovery notices and if they don’t pay for the damages, then their properties will be confiscated.”

The Lucknow administration has assessed the damage to be worth Rs 1.55 crore. As per information, 10 people from Thakurganj area and six from Qaiserbagh area have been served recovery notices of over Rs 69 lakh till now. Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas and son of Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, Sibtain Noori, are also among the 16 who have been served notices.

The process of serving notices came soon after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warned those who were involved in violence during demonstrations of "revenge" for the losses including damage of police motorcycles, barrier and sticks.

Large-scale violence was reported from UP over the Citizenship Amendment Act, which detractors have termed as “divisive” and “anti-Muslim”.

Recently, the Gujarat police were told to look into the possibility of financial recovery, on the lines of a move by the Uttar Pradesh government, from those involved in recent anti-CAA violence as well as communal riots in Khambat town.