No caste-based rallies in Uttar Pradesh, says Allahabad High Court Thursday July 11,2013

 

In what may come as a rude shock to political parties as they get into election mode, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court today stayed caste-based rallies "with immediate effect" throughout Uttar Pradesh.

The court issued notices to the Central and state governments, the Election Commission of India and 4 major political parties - Samajwadi Party (SP); Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP); Congress(INC) andBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asking them to file affidavits on why such a ban should not be placed

"We stay caste-based rallies throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh," the Lucknow bench of the court comprising justices Uma Nath Singh and Mahendra Dayal said on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a local lawyer Motilal Yadav