A controversial directive issued by the Directorate of Panchayati Raj, Uttar Pradesh, has sparked outrage after it instructed all District Magistrates to launch a campaign specifically targeting members of the Yadav caste and Muslim community for alleged “illegal encroachments” on village lands across the state.
In a letter dated July 29, 2025, the Directorate of Panchayati Raj, Uttar Pradesh, acting on a petition by BJP farmer leader Vivek Kumar Srivastava, instructed all District Magistrates to initiate action against “illegal occupation by a particular caste (Yadav) and religion (Muslim)” in 57,691 Gram Panchayats across the state.
“It has been requested to issue appropriate guidelines… to free the lands of the Gram Sabha, ponds, compost pits, barns, playgrounds, cremation grounds, and Gram Panchayat buildings from illegal occupation by a particular caste (Yadav) and a particular religion (Muslim),” the directive issued by Panchayati Raj Joint Director Surendra Nath Singh stated.
The directive was accompanied by a copy of Srivastava’s letter to the Chief Minister, dated July 6, 2025, and further escalated on Saturday, when the District Panchayati Raj Officer in Ballia, Avneesh Kumar Srivastava, issued a follow-up order to Block Development Officers.
“Please take necessary action by launching a campaign in your respective blocks to free Gram Sabha properties… from encroachments by the mentioned communities,” the Ballia district official wrote.
The directive has sparked outrage, with many calling it “unconstitutional,” “communal,” and “casteist,” while critics described it as a “politically motivated” move that violates Articles 14 and 15, and demanded a CBI inquiry and strict action against the officials involved.
Following the backlash, the circular was immediately withdrawn, and S.N. Singh, Joint Director of the Panchayati Raj Department in Uttar Pradesh, was suspended—a move SP leader I.P. Singh described as “sacrificing small fish.”
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
