The upper-caste Brahmin and Kshatriya organisations have welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government’s order banning caste-based mobilisation, including rallies and the public display of caste names, while Yadav, Jat and Gurjar groups see it as a move to prevent their mobilisation, amid allegations that vehicles with lower-caste stickers are being challaned while those of Kshatriya and Brahmin pass unchecked.
The state government’s directive prohibits caste-based political rallies, bars the display of caste names on vehicles and signboards, and restricts the mention of caste in police records, with exceptions only in cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The order has drawn sharp divisions along caste lines, reflecting deep social and political currents in the state.
Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM) national president Mahender Singh Tanwar described the measure as an important step towards social harmony, stressing that caste display only fuels division.
Similarly, Akhil Bharatvarshiya Brahmin Mahasabha (ABBM) state chief Pitambar Sharma said his organisation discourages public assertions of caste identity and welcomed the government’s attempt to curb such practices, according to The Indian Express.
In contrast, Akhil Bharatiya Yadav Mahasabha (ABYM) state president Kaptan Singh Yadav criticised the order as politically motivated, linking it to efforts to weaken mobilisation in support of the Samajwadi Party, particularly under the slogan of PDA (pichchda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) solidarity.
He pointed out that the practice of displaying caste names on vehicles has existed for decades and questioned how the government intended to implement a ban on such a widespread tradition.
Akhil Bharatiya Gurjar Mahasabha (ABGM) state president Dinesh Singh Gurjar noted that while the order could help in reducing inter-caste clashes, its announcement without prior consultation with caste organisations was a flaw. He raised concerns about unequal application, warning that vehicles carrying Gurjar stickers could be penalised while those with Kshatriya or Brahmin insignia might go unchecked, fuelling perceptions of discrimination.
Jat Mahasabha general secretary Jaiveer Singh in Muzaffarnagar criticised the decision as discriminatory for excluding Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from its scope in cases involving the SC/ST Act. He argued that the exemption deepens the sense of selective enforcement and undermines the credibility of the order among other communities.