Opposition slams U.P. Governments ban on caste-based political rallies, calls transfer an eyewash

Opposition events on Monday (September 23, 2025) questioned the Uttar Pradesh authorities directives prohibiting caste-based political rallies and different caste centered indicators and requested what can be completed to take away the caste discrimination that has been ingrained within the minds of the individuals for five,000 years and known as the directives eyewash. 

Posing 5 questions over the choice, the Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav requested, “What shall be completed to take away the caste discrimination that has been ingrained in our minds for five,000 years and what shall be completed to eradicate caste discrimination arising from caste-display by means of clothes, costumes and symbols?”

Mr. Yadav additional went on to ask, what shall be completed to finish the caste discrimination mentality of asking somebody’s caste earlier than their identify after they meet them, what measures shall be taken to finish the caste-based discrimination of getting somebody’s home washed and what shall be completed to finish caste-based conspiracies to defame somebody by making false and defamatory allegations. 

SP spokesperson Rajkumar Bhati alleged that the Uttar Pradesh authorities is afraid of the political consciousness of the Gurjar group. “This is exactly what will be interpreted as: On Sunday, September twenty first, the Uttar Pradesh authorities issued a authorities order banning caste rallies and conferences in Uttar Pradesh. Previously, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) itself had been organising caste rallies and conferences.”

“Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, conferences of assorted castes have been held constantly for a month on the BJP’s workplace in Lucknow. The BJP additionally posted an indication in Lucknow saying the variety of ministers from every caste appointed by its authorities. Yogi Adityanath held a highway present through the Ghaziabad meeting by-election. During the one-kilometre highway present, welcome platforms for ten castes have been arrange, with the names of the completely different castes written on them.”

“Today, when a marketing campaign is underway to boost political consciousness among the many Gurjar group and we’ve got introduced a large Gurjar rally, how did the federal government instantly do not forget that rallies shouldn’t be held within the identify of castes?” mentioned Mr. Bhati. 

The Congress described the choice as harmful and an eyewash to silent voices rising from the Dalit, backwards, marginalised and different subaltern communities.

“Baba Saheb Ambedkar known as for an equal society based mostly on the idea of justice. The level is that injustice, unfairness, bias, and prejudice based mostly on caste resulted in Uttar Pradesh; the clear reply isn’t any, these in energy discriminate towards downtrodden, Dalits, backwards and minorities based mostly on id by means of a number of methods, from faux encounters to bias in appointment. This choice to ban caste-based references or mobilisation will additional embolden the forces of injustice and in the end goal social community-based teams who combat towards discrimination,” mentioned Anil Yadav, a senior U.P. Congress chief. 

On Sunday, September 21, Uttar Pradesh’s officiating Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar issued a 10-point directive to all of the district magistrates and police chiefs, including that caste-based rallies for political functions are towards public order and prohibit them in any kind, like signboards, social media at public locations. The order additionally directed that caste will now not be talked about in police data, like FIRs or arrest memos. The order is taken on the directives of the Allahabad High Court.