UP Government Bans Caste-Based Political Rallies; Opposition Slams Move

Last Updated:September 23, 2025, 10:18 IST

Following Allahabad High Court’s directive, UP government has banned caste-based rallies and public events with political motives.

Opposition slams ban on Caste-Based Political Rallies in UP

Following a directive of Allahabad High Court, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the immediate removal of all caste references from police records and public notices. Opposition slammed the move, called it an attempt to silent voices of marginalised communities.

Prohibiting “caste-based political rallies”, the government called them a threat to “public order” and “national unity”. With 2027 Assembly elections approaching, this move would have its political implications.

Government’s 10-Point Order

The Uttar Pradesh Government has issued a sweeping 10-point order and asked officials to ensure “immediate and effective compliance.”

In compliance with a September 16 Allahabad High Court judgement that was aimed at eliminating caste-based discrimination, the government has banned caste-based rallies and public events with political motives.

Vehicles displaying caste-based stickers or slogans will be fined under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Furthermore, the official order also states that the caste of accused persons should no longer be recorded in police registers, case memos, arrest documents, or displayed on police station notice boards.

UP’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) portal will also be updated to delete caste fields, and until then, officials have been told to leave such fields blank.

Authorities are directed to remove boards or signs in towns and villages that glorify caste identities or mark areas as belonging to a particular caste.

Opposition Slams The Move

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the government over the order. “And what will be done to eradicate the caste discrimination that has been entrenched in the mind for 5000 years?” the former chief minister said in a post in Hindi on X.

“And what will be done to eliminate the caste discrimination arising from caste display through clothing, attire, and symbolic markers? And what will be done to end the mentality of caste discrimination that involves asking about ‘caste’ before someone’s name upon meeting them?” he asked. Yadav also wondered what measures will be taken to put an end to the thinking of caste discrimination that involves making someone clean their house. “And what will be done to terminate the conspiracies filled with caste discrimination that involve defaming someone by levelling false and humiliating accusations?”

The high court’s order in the Praveen Chetri vs State of UP and others case prohibited police from mentioning the caste of accused persons and instructed the state to prevent caste glorification in public and digital spaces.

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