LUCKNOW: Days after the Allahabad High Court sought curbs on caste glorification and a bar on mentioning of the caste of the accused in police records, the UP government issued a GO announcing changes in the performa of the FIR, other related police records.
Through the government order, the authorities are now prohibited of the use of caste names on vehicles, boards, or stickers to earmark colonies or areas where a certain caste majority resides.
The police and district administration have also been told to keep a close watch on social media and crack down on efforts to either praise a certain caste or to use caste to create public discord.
The orders have to be implemented with immediate effect.
Moreover, the state government has also prohibited caste-based political rallies, stating that they were a threat to 'public order' and 'national unity' -- a step likely to have far-reaching political implications with the UP state assembly election due in 2027.
Citing a September 16 Allahabad High Court order, the GO issued late Sunday evening by officiating Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar to all the district magistrates, secretaries, and heads of police across State and districts, said caste-based rallies organised for political purposes promoted caste conflict in society.
The 10-point Government Order included directives to issue challans to vehicles bearing caste names, slogans and stickers under relevant sections of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
However, the FIR related to criminal offences registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been kept out of the ambit of the GO.
Interestingly, the order would have an impact on political gatherings of caste based parties, including Apna Dal (S), led by Kurmis, NISHAD party or Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, led by Rajbhars.
Even the Opposition would bear the heat as the state assembly polls inch closer.
As per the GO, officials are aware of the government’s stance towards an inclusive policy that is consistent with constitutional values and directs authorities to take effective action against those who incite conflict through 'caste-based displays and protests'.
Notably, in its order, the Allahabad High Court directed the state’s home department and DGP to frame and implement standard operating procedures by amending police manuals/regulations, if necessary, to prohibit caste disclosure in all police documents, barring cases lodged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The GO also asks authorities to correspond with the National Crime Records Bureau to delete the column mentioning an accused’s caste in the format used on the CCTNS portal and to make necessary arrangements in the CCTNS portal to mention the name of the mother along with the name of the father of the accused. Until this change is made, caste information should be 'left out' entirely from the portal.
It provides that in Police records, including panchanamas, arrest memos, personal search memos, and notice boards at police stations, should not bear caste information of any person except in case of crimes under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
It also provides for the names of the mother and father of the suspect in police records.
Vehicles with caste names, slogans, and stickers glorifying caste should be challaned under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Moreover, signboards or announcements glorifying caste and declaring geographical areas as caste areas or estates should be removed immediately, and effective steps should be taken to ensure that no such boards are put up in the future.
"Social media messages glorifying or denigrating any caste should be strictly monitored. Strict action should be taken against those who spread caste hatred or incite caste sentiments through social media," the directive stated.
In its order, the high court had also asked the state government to prepare a regulatory framework to amend the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) to explicitly ban caste-based slogans and caste identifiers on all private and public vehicles.
It also said that provisions under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, must be strengthened to flag and act against “caste-glorifying, hate-inducing content on social media.”