Youth Morcha storms DM office highlighting critical gaps in schools, questions FIR on activist

Activists of Justice Morcha, a forum of youths pushing the issues of employment and education in Uttar Pradesh, on Monday (August 24, 2026) reached the District Magistrate (DM) office in Deoria, demanding improvement of critical gaps in basic school infrastructureThe group reached the administration after a case was filed against one of its members, Rajat Singh, for showing the poor condition of government schools on camera in Deoria.“Many activists of the Justice Morcha reached the office of DM Deoria. A case was filed against our colleague Rajat for showing the poor condition of government schools on camera. Today, when Rajat and his colleagues reached the District Magistrate’s office regarding this matter, the District Magistrate immediately left the office,” said Abhinav Mishra, who claims to be associated with the forum. “We are only demanding improvement of critical gaps in basic school infrastructure. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claims that the picture of government schools has changed. If the picture of schools has really changed, then why are cases being filed to show the ground reality? Is the Kayakalp scheme also running only on paper? If officials are looting public money under the nose of the Chief Minister, then who will take responsibility for it,” he asked.On August 22, the police in Deoria booked Mr. Singh, a member of the group, on charges of entering a primary school in Gauribazar’s Damar Bishwa village without authorisation and spreading misinformation. The police registered the First Information Report (FIR) on a written petition submitted by Gauribazar’s block education officer, Vinay Sheel Mishra.The FIR was registered under sections 329(4): house trans pass and 353(2): circulating false statements, rumours, or alarming reports—including via electronic media—with the intent or likelihood of promoting feelings of enmity or hatred, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Congress reacted sharply to the police action, calling it a nefarious attempt to silence youth voices. “Under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, over one lakh schools have been closed; only in Uttar Pradesh, roughly 25,000 schools are shut. Pupils hailing from marginalised social groups like the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs) are being forced out of the education system,” said Ajay Kumar ‘Lallu’, a senior U.P. Congress leader. “Youths are raising voices against this injustice. Filing an FIR is a nefarious attempt to silence voices. The fact is, in the name of infrastructure development, organised loot is ongoing in the State. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP want to deprive poor people from the ambit of education,” he added. Published - August 25, 2026 04:57 am IST