UP Police Caste Controversy: DGP Responds to Akhilesh Yadav’s Claims

A day after Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, claimed that people from certain castes were not being fairly represented in the Uttar Pradesh police, DGP Prashant Kumar rejected these claims. He called them false and misleading. In a strong statement, he urged responsible leaders to stop spreading rumors and said that the police must fight misinformation with facts.

Yadav had told reporters in Prayagraj that many police officers from backward and minority communities were not seen in higher roles, like Station House Officers (SHOs). For example, out of 48 police stations in Agra, only 15 SHOs came from these groups. He accused the current BJP government of unfairly dividing people based on caste and religion.

In response, several police departments shared their own data. The Agra Police said that around 39% of their officers were from Other Backward Classes (OBC) and 18% were from Scheduled Castes (SC), which is higher than the government’s OBC reservation rule of 27%. Mainpuri Police reported that 31% of their staff belong to OBCs, while Chitrakoot Police shared that in their 12 stations, three SHOs were OBC and two were from SC/ST backgrounds.

Prayagraj Police also defended themselves, stating that hiring is based on skill and professionalism. They mentioned that about 40% of their SHOs are from OBC and SC/ST communities. However, Yadav continued to share his statistics, claiming only 25% of the Prayagraj Police officers were from backward and minority groups, calling this unfair.

DGP Prashant Kumar asked everyone to be careful and not jump to conclusions based on incorrect information. He emphasized the importance of sharing real facts to maintain trust within the community and urged people to avoid spreading rumors about the police.