Lucknow, May 1 -- Prominent academics, artists, civil rights activists, and trade union leaders submitted a memorandum to the Lucknow Police Commissioner on Wednesday, demanding immediate withdrawal of FIRs filed against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore and Lucknow University professor Madri Kakoti over their social media posts related to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. The FIRs, filed under various sections related to promoting enmity and disturbing public harmony, have drawn sharp criticism from across civil society, who view them as an assault on the constitutional right to freedom of expression. The delegation included former LU vice-chancellor Prof Roop Rekha Verma, academic Prof Ramesh Dixit, trade union leader Dinkar Kapoor, AIDWA's Vandana Rai, satirist Rajeev Dhyani and others. The memorandum stated that merely expressing dissent or criticism of the government should not be criminalised, and that the FIRs set a dangerous precedent for silencing citizens. "Raising questions on governance or standing up against injustice is a democratic right, not a crime," the statement read. Calling the FIRs a direct attack on civil liberties, the group urged the police to revoke the cases immediately and uphold constitutional values protecting freedom of speech. The signatories stressed the need for law enforcement to respect democratic norms and ensure that peaceful voices are not stifled under political pressure....