The nationwide Bharat Bandh called by various organisations on Wednesday in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on reservations had a little impact on normal life in Uttar Pradesh in Uttar Pradesh even as Dalit groups and political parties held demonstrations and marches in parts of the state..
Several Dalit organisations took out processions, held rallies and staged protests in different parts of the state in support of reservations. However, despite the bandh call, most shops remained open, and business continued as usual.
In anticipation of potential disruptions due to the one-day bandh, security measures were heightened.
Political parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party supported the Bharat Bandh call.
In Lucknow, political activists gathered on key roads in Hazratganj and nearby areas, causing some traffic disruptions. However, shops and markets in the city remained open, and daily activities proceeded normally.
In central Lucknow, a significant number of BSP workers and supporters assembled at Ambedkar Square as part of the nationwide strike.
In Prayagraj, Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed, while protests and marches were reported in Agra and Kanpur Nagar, where bus services continued without interruption.
Various districts, including Unnao, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Sambhal, Jalaun, Etawah, Mathura, Hathras, and Gorakhpur, also witnessed processions and demonstrations in support of reservations.
In Prayagraj, a BSP worker stated, “BSP workers are opposed to the abolition of reservations. We will submit a memorandum to the district magistrate on this issue.”
In western Uttar Pradesh, activists from the Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army held protest marches in Bijnor, Saharanpur and surrounding districts. Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) president and MP Chandrashekhar Azad posted on X, asserting that the day’s mass movement sends a clear message to both Central and state governments that the Bahujan society will not allow the “divide and rule” strategy to succeed.
In Bareilly, the Bharat Bandh call had little effect, but thousands of people took to the streets under the banner of the Reservation Save Struggle Committee. Various organisations, including Bhim Army and Azad Samaj Party, staged vigorous protests. At around 12:30 pm, hundreds of protesters gathered at Chowki Chauraha, raised slogans, and later marched to the Collectorate. After about 30 minutes of protest, they dispersed.
Similar demonstrations were reported in Shahjahanpur and Budaun, with rallies held in Lakhimpur Kheri as well. In Shahjahanpur, protests began at 10 am at the GIC ground in Khirni Bagh. Activists from various organisations marched through Anta Chauraha, Anjan Chowki, Ghantaghar, Bahadurganj, and Sadar Bazaar before returning to the starting point. Despite the demonstrations, the city’s markets remained open and unaffected by the bandh.
Protesters demanded that the Supreme Court’s ruling on sub-classification within SC and ST reservations be annulled by Parliament and that reservations be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. The rally saw significant participation from SP and BSP leaders who supported the demands.
In Lakhimpur Kheri, the Bharat Bandh had no significant impact as the market remained open throughout the day. BSP and other organisations held rallies and protests, which culminated at the Collectorate. The police administration was on high alert during the bandh, with increased security measures in place.
In Etah, there were protests against the creamy layer reservation. Large groups of Dalit youth took to the streets with blue flags, chanting slogans and attempting to forcibly close shops. In Jalesar, similar protests led to clashes with shopkeepers as demonstrators tried to shut down businesses. The protesters claimed they were peacefully expressing their opposition, but tensions escalated, resulting in broken shop counters.
In Agra, supporters of the Bharat Bandh attempted to break through barriers, leading to the deployment of heavy police forces at Maharana Pratap Chauraha. The routes to and from Agra Chauraha were blocked, with supporters of BSP, Bhim Army, and other groups chanting slogans against the Supreme Court’s decision. Protests continued with marches organised by Bhim Army, BSP, and other groups, which eventually reached the Tehsil office. There, they submitted a memorandum to Nayab Tehsildar Vanshika Singh and called for a market shutdown. The situation led to clashes with authorities, breaking of shop windows, and attempts to enforce a market closure from tehsil to Agra Chauraha.
Ahead of the bandh, the state police stepped up vigilance with Director General of Police Prashant Kumar monitoring the situation from the headquarters.
DGP Prashant Kumar inspected the control room set up at the police headquarters in view of the Bharat Bandh and gave necessary guidelines for maintaining law and order in the state during the strike, Uttar Pradesh Police said in a post on X in Hindi.
On August 1, the Supreme Court issued a historic ruling stating that states have the constitutional authority to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SCs) to provide reservations for the most socially and educationally backward groups within them. The court clarified that sub-classification should be based on “quantitative and performance-based data” rather than political gain. In response to this decision, 21 organisations across the country gave the call for Bharat Bandh, arguing that the ruling undermines the fundamental principles of reservations.
