New Delhi, May 17: A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking quashing of multiple FIRs registered by Delhi Police for putting up posters criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for exporting Covid-19 vaccines.
The petition, filed by advocate Pradeep Kumar Yadav, said that posters were found pasted on walls and boards with the message: “Modi ji humare bachon ka vaccine videsh kyon bhej diya?” (Why did you send our children’s vaccines abroad?).
Police, in all the districts where the posters were found, registered FIRs under the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, the Delhi Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code, and arrets started late on May 12 after the Special Branch informed Delhi Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava about the posters.
At least 24 people were arrested but granted bail after initial questioning as provisions invoked in the matter were bailable. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP members dared the police to arrest them too, as they shared the posters on their social media posts.
The plea urged the top court to issue directions to Delhi Police to refrain from registering FIRs or act against those who put up the posters across the national capital over the past few days, contending that the apex court, in a number of cases, has held that freedom of speech and expression in connection with public cause was a fundamental right of every citizen, guaranteed under the Constitution.
The plea cited that a 19-year-old school dropout, a 30-year-old e-rickshaw driver, and a 61-year-old maker of wooden frames were among the people arrested by police, in the middle of pandemic. (IANS)
