New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Thursday favoured nationwide guidelines to do away with the practice of affixing posters outside residences of Covid-19 patients. It sought the Centre's response on a PIL within two weeks.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan remarked when the Delhi government has agreed to do it before the Delhi High Court, then why can't the Centre do it for the entire country.

The observation from the top court came on the plea filed by Kush Kalra, a Delhi resident, through advocate Chinmoy Pradip Sharma stating that the decision and action of affixing posters outside residences of Covid-19 positive persons and disclosure of such names violate Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

"Affixing posters outside residences of Covid-19 positive persons amounts to an unprecedented violation of the right to privacy which is a Fundamental Right guaranteed under Article 21 of Constitution," said the PIL.

"We had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court raising this issue pursuant to which the Delhi Government stopped this practice. This should be implemented by all states and UTs for which we have now approached the Supreme Court," Sharma said.

The plea has argued that Covid-19 positive who are already battling severe physical illness and the associated mental trauma are subjected to stigmatisation, due to this practice of affixing posters outside their homes.

"Affixing posters outside their homes lead to further aggravating their illness as it is widely publicised amongst other residents of a colony or apartment complex as well as household staff of neighbours, vendors, passers-by and other unrelated persons," contended the petitioner.