Allahabad High Court. File
Acting on the recent directives by the Allahabad High Court asking Uttar Pradesh to regulate caste glorification, the State on Sunday (September 22, 2025) issued a notification prohibiting caste-based political rallies, mention of the casts of accused persons in police stations and reference to caste on vehicles, signboards etc.
Ordering a prohibition on caste-based rallies, officiating Chief Secretary (CS) Deepak Kumar said they are organised for political purposes and promote caste conflict in society, which is contrary to “public order” and “national unity.”
“Such rallies will be completely banned in the state of Uttar Pradesh,” said a notification issued by Mr Kumar.
In the notification, the Chief Secretary said the policy of the state government is to have an inclusive system with constitutional values and in an order to achieve the same, it is essential to eliminate caste-based discrimination prevalent in society.
Issued to all Secretaries, District Magistrates, and Police Chiefs, Mr Kumar added that officials must ensure strict monitoring of social media messages that glorify or condemn any caste.
“Strict action should be taken against those who spread caste hatred or incite caste sentiments through social media,” it read.
Vehicles displaying caste names or slogans/stickers will be challaned under the relevant sections of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it added. The notification further said that the signboards or glorification of caste done by ‘certain elements’ in public places or declaring geographical areas as caste-based areas or estates, should be immediately removed.
The CS also directed the police to follow up with National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) to delete the field for entering the caste of the accused from the formats used on the CCTNS portal. Until the NCRB makes this change, police have been asked to leave the non-mandatory caste field blank.
No mention of caste will be permitted for accused persons at police stations, in recovery panchnama, arrest memo, and personal search memo.
As framed by the High Court, the State has also directed police to include the mother’s name of the accused along with the name of the father’’s.
The State has, however, exempted caste mention in crimes registered under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A Bench of Justice Vinod Diwaker of the Allahabad High Court on September 16 had directed the U.P. government to curb caste glorification. The observations were made during the hearing of an application under Section 482 CrPC, in which it noted that the castes of the accused persons were mentioned in the FIR and other related documents.
The court came down heavily on the police and said that the investigative impartiality and enforcement neutrality must be consciously cultivated, especially in a society where caste is pervasive.
“Writing or declaring the caste of an accused without legal relevance amounts to identity profiling, not objective investigation. It reinforces prejudice, corrupts public opinion, contaminates judicial thinking, violates fundamental rights, and undermines constitutional morality,” it observed.
In a State like U.P., where even the political parties like NISHAD party, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party have caste-based names, ensuring implementation of the government’s directives will be a challenge, a senior official told The Hindu.
Published – September 23, 2025 12:17 am IST
