High Court bans caste-based rallies in UP

A Division Bench of Justices Uma Nath Singh and Mahendra Dayal,issued the order on a PIL filed by lawyer Moti Lal Yadav. In his submission,Yadav said political parties were organising rallies in the name of castes like Brahmin,Kshatriya,Vaishya etc.

“Such rallies are dividing the society on castes lines and causing damage to social unity,” Yadav said,appealing to the court to order a ban on caste-based political rallies,debar leaders organising such rallies from contesting elections,and cancel recognition of political parties that organise such rallies.

Meanwhile,political parties welcomed the order. BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpai said that the HC will put a break on the SP and BSP which were organising caste-based political rallies to divide the society and divert the attention of people from corruption of Congress-led UPA government.

Congress spokesperson Virendra Madan also welcomed the High Court order and said the Congress has always discouraged caste-based politics.

RLD state president Munna Singh Chauhan said that development of the state has been adversely affected due to caste-based politics. “A check on caste-based rallies will discourage caste-based politics,” Chauhan said.