NEW DELHI: India's trigger happy cowboys are going to hate this one! The gun-toting high and mighty in the politically sensitive Indian state of Uttar Pradesh will no longer be able to pull the triggers at will with the Allahabad High Court restricting gun licensees from using their weapons to fire in celebration. A bench of the Allahabad High Court in the State's capital of Lucknow, passed the significant directive on Wednesday. “Henceforth, holders of arm licenses are restricted from using their weapons in celebratory firing for marriages, birthdays or processions for victories in elections. Those violating this order, will held accountable personally and dealt under the law,” Judges Abdul Mateen and Sudhir Kumar Saxena said in their order. The home secretary and the police chief in Uttar Pradesh have also been directed to personally attend and apprize the court, about the position of the state's provincial government on celebratory firings incidents reported last year and action taken under existing laws. Firing guns in celebration, much like in the lawless Westerns towns depicted in films, is a widespread practice in Uttar Pradesh and rampant among local politicians and rural toughies. Firing of guns at marriages, birthdays and just about any festive occasion is a sort of status symbol used by politicos to demonstrate clout to their followers. The brazen display of arsenal is also meant to convey a none too subtle message of strength to their opponents. The judges directed that the top Uttar Pradesh officials, at the next date of hearing, are to inform to the court what specific steps the state is taking to arrest the brazen misuse of arms at private functions and in public at government offices and on the highways. The court, which has fixed the next hearing in the case for Friday, and has asked the Federal Government's top law officer, the Solicitor General of India to assist the court.
