Allahabad HC Issues Fresh Notices To 4 Political Parties Including BJP, SP On PIL Seeking Ban On Caste-Based Rallies

The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow bench) on Monday issued fresh notices to four major political parties of Uttar Pradesh including the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samajwadi Party on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea seeking a complete ban on caste-based rallies.

The bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh also gave the Union Of India a last chance to submit its response to the PIL plea. The bench has fixed April 10 as the next hearing date in the case. 

It may be noted that the PIL plea, filed by one Moti Lal Yadav before the High Court in the year 2013, seeks a ban on all such political rallies that organize caste rallies. The PIL plea also seeks a direction to the ECI to cancel the registration of such political parties which organize such rallies.

Hearing the plea in the year 2013, the High Court issued a notice to the ECI as well as other political parties, and it also issued interim directions to ban all such caste-based rallies across Uttar Pradesh, however, since no replies were filed before the Court till November 2022, fresh notices were served to the respondents.

In response to the Court's November 2022 order, the Election Commission of India submitted its response in the HC that it has no Jurisdiction to either ban caste-based rallies organized by political parties in the non-election period or to ban them from contesting subsequent polls. 

Importantly, till now, no political parties impleaded in the matter, have officially responded to the court notice.

On Monday, noting that though a notice was issued to respondents nos. 5 to 8 (political parties) in pursuance of the order dated 11.11.2022, but they have not been served to the said respondents, the Court deemed it fit to serve them again with fresh notices in the matter.

Case title - Moti Lal Yadav vs. Chief Election Commissioner Election Commission.Of India And Ors.

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