Varanasi, August 8, 2025 – Two leaders from the Samajwadi Party’s student wing, the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, have been booked by the Varanasi police for operating an unauthorized “PDA Pathshala” in the city’s Hukulganj area. The incident, which took place on August 4, has sparked a fresh controversy in Uttar Pradesh as the Samajwadi Party (SP) protests the state government’s school merger policy.
According to a police report, Rahul Sonkar, the district president, and Ayush Yadav, the city president of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, organized the makeshift school at the Daitrabeer Baba temple in Hukulganj. The initiative, called PDA Pathshala—standing for Pichhda (Backward), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Minority)—was launched to provide education to children affected by the state’s decision to merge over 10,000 primary and upper primary schools with low enrollment. The SP claims these mergers have left many rural children without access to education.
The case was filed on August 7 at the Lalpur-Pandeypur police station following a complaint by Block Education Officer (BEO) Akhilesh Kumar. He alleged that Sonkar and Yadav misused children for political purposes by running the unauthorized classes and shared content on social media that tarnished the education department’s image. The police have launched an investigation, and charges have been filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The SP’s PDA Pathshala campaign has been a point of contention across Uttar Pradesh. Similar cases have been reported in districts like Lucknow, Kanpur, Bhadohi, Mau, and Saharanpur, where SP leaders faced FIRs for running these informal schools without permission. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have accused the SP of using these classes to push political agendas, citing examples of PDA Pathshala from Saharanpur where students were taught slogans like “A for Akhilesh” and “D for Dimple” instead of standard lessons.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav defended the initiative, saying, “Our workers are teaching children where the government has failed. The BJP is scared of education for the poor.” He urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit these schools and see the poor conditions. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have called the PDA Pathshalas an attempt to “brainwash” young minds with political propaganda.
The controversy comes amid growing tensions over the state’s school merger policy, which the SP claims disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Political analysts suggest this issue could shape the SP’s strategy to rally its PDA voter base ahead of the 2027 state elections. For now, the Varanasi case remains under investigation.
