2 Samajwadi Party's student wing leaders booked in Varanasi for running 'PDA Pathshala'

Varanasi (UP), Aug 7 (PTI) A case has been registered against two leaders of the Samajwadi Party's student wing for allegedly operating an unauthorised 'PDA Pathshala', an informal learning initiative launched by the party workers in protest against Uttar Pradesh government's school pairing policy, police said on Thursday.
    The case was lodged on Wednesday at the Lalpur-Pandeypur police station based on a complaint by Block Education Officer (BEO) Akhilesh Kumar.
    The FIR names Rahul Sonkar, district president of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and Ayush Yadav, city president of the organisation.
    Kumar in his complaint alleged that on Monday the two leaders conducted a 'PDA Pathshala' in the Hukulganj locality, misusing children for political purposes and tarnishing the image of the education department through social media, police said.
    Authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter.
    The Uttar Pradesh government recently began the process of merging more than 10,000 primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students into nearby institutions.
    Opposing this policy, the Samajwadi Party launched 'PDA Pathshalas' in affected villages, aiming to continue education for children whose schools have shut down. However, the state government has started taking legal action against such unofficial schools.
    Cases have also been filed in Lucknow, Mau and Saharanpur districts for similar incidents -- including allegations of imparting political indoctrination to children in such makeshift classrooms.
    In the run up to the 2024 general elections the party had coined the term 'PDA' -- an acronym for Pichhde, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Backward, Dalit, and Minority) and pushed for the unity of these communitie. It won 37 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)