UP Government withdraws order targeting Yadav, Muslim communities after public outcry
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has withdrawn a controversial directive that had instructed officials to act against members of the Yadav caste and Muslim community for allegedly encroaching on village lands. The directive sparked widespread criticism and was called discriminatory and unconstitutional by many political leaders and rights groups, reported Maktoob Media.
The directive was issued by the Directorate of Panchayati Raj on July 29, 2025, based on a petition by BJP farmer leader Vivek Kumar Srivastava. In the letter sent to all District Magistrates, officials were asked to identify and remove "illegal occupations" on village lands by people belonging to the Yadav community and Muslim religion. The areas included Gram Sabha land, ponds, playgrounds, compost pits, cremation grounds, and other public spaces in over 57,691 villages across the state.
A copy of Srivastava’s letter to the Chief Minister, dated July 6, was also attached with the directive. Following this, in Ballia district, the Panchayati Raj Officer issued a follow-up letter to Block Development Officers, instructing them to take action against the mentioned communities.
The move faced strong backlash from political parties and civil society. Critics argued that naming specific caste and religious groups in an official government order violates Articles 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination based on religion or caste.
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad called the order unconstitutional and said it went against civil service conduct rules. He demanded that the officers involved be removed from service and that an FIR be filed against them.
Samajwadi Party leaders also condemned the directive. Yasar Shah questioned why only two communities were targeted, while I.P. Singh alleged that the order reflected the BJP’s intent to sideline the Constitution. Singh also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry to determine how such an order was approved and who was involved at higher levels of government. He criticized the suspension of just one officer, calling it an attempt to shield senior officials.
After the public and political backlash, the directive was withdrawn. S.N. Singh, the Joint Director who signed the original order, was suspended. However, opposition leaders said this was not enough and called for further accountability, warning that any officer involved could face legal consequences in the future.
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Man arrested for for raping mute woman in Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (PTI): One person was arrested on the charge of raping a 30-year-old woman with speech impairment in Jamshedpur, a police officer said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Azadnagar police station area of the city, and a case in this regard was registered based on the statement of the victim's brother on Monday.
The victim had gone to fetch water from the premises of a company on Monday evening. When she did not return even after a considerable time, family members went out in search of her and caught the accused red-handed, police said.
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The accused was a caretaker of the company.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Patamda) Bachandeo Kujjur said due to scarcity of water in the area, the victim used to fetch water from the premises of the company.
