New Delhi: A list of government school teachers assigned to attend the BJP’s Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra in Lucknow, accessed by The Wire, along with testimonies from teachers, has raised questions over the deployment of public employees for a political event.In Barabanki’s Suratganj block, a list of 80 primary school teachers from different villages was compiled and assigned the task of attending the padyatra (march) on April 21, 2026. Barabanki district is located around 90 km from the state capital, Lucknow.The list, a copy of which was seen by The Wire, included the names of 80 teachers assigned to attend the rally. This reporter reached out to 30 of them, of whom nine confirmed that block-wise lists had been prepared, with some teachers asked to attend the event. Some disconnected the call when asked about it, while others did not respond despite repeated attempts.“Women teachers had been called in from other districts as well. When we reached the protest site, we realised that teachers from Sitapur had also come to take part in the rally. Women from neighbouring districts had clearly been mobilised,” said a primary school teacher who did not wish to be identified.When asked about her views on the women’s reservation bill, she said, “I don’t know much about the issue.”Asked whether government school teachers in Uttar Pradesh are often made to participate in such political events, she told The Wire, “Something like this has happened for the first time. There was no clarity regarding the details. We were only told that teachers hailing from Lucknow had been assigned duty, so we coordinated among ourselves on how to reach the spot.”‘No written instructions, list was communicated verbally’“As it is, the standards of education are poor, and on top of that, such lists are handed over without any information about the event or its purpose. Instructions are issued by senior officials regarding those whose names are included in the list,” said a second primary school teacher, who requested anonymity.“There were no written instructions; only the list was communicated verbally,” she told The Wire.“Yes, I agree that women should be granted reservation in Parliament. But involving teachers in such assignments, when they are already burdened with other responsibilities, is not fair,” she added.The teacher also confirmed that as part of the rally organised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the group of school teachers reached the barricading in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area, after which they were asked to return.“Transport was arranged from the school to take teachers to the protest site, but it was not practical for me to first travel 70 kilometres to the school and then head to the rally, so I went directly to the spot,” she said.The ‘Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra’ was a BJP-led march spearheaded by chief minister Yogi Adityanath after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill – which sought to provide reservation for women in Parliament based on delimitation – failed to pass. Apart from Lucknow, local BJP units in Uttar Pradesh organised similar rallies in Varanasi, Raebareli, Jhansi and Badaun, among other districts, last week.“Overall, it was a good experience. People had turned up in such large numbers that we could not even cover the entire distance because of the commotion,” said a third school teacher.The march proceeded from the chief minister’s residence to the Vidhan Sabha Bhawan. “Not all teachers in a school were asked to go. Only a few were told to participate in the event,” she added.“Of course, we would not go to take part in such a programme on our own. Lists were issued at the block level stating which teachers could participate,” she said.‘Sending teachers to a political rally is wrong’“The job of a teacher is to impart education. If they are directed to work elsewhere, it amounts to deception for both teaching staff and students,” said Praveen Sharma, Gautam Budh Nagar president of the Uttar Pradesh Prathamik Shikshak Sangh (UPPSS). The UPPSS is a state-level government school teachers’ union that has been vocal about teachers being deployed as BLOs (Block Level Officers) during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in 2025, and had earlier criticised the digital attendance system introduced in 2024, citing poor internet connectivity in villages.“I strongly criticise this, and it should be opposed. Teachers were never earlier called upon to take part in a political event. This is absolutely wrong,” Sharma told The Wire.Also read: Modi Bowled Them Over, But they are Fans and Not CitizensLucknow-based UPPSS president Sudhanshu Mohan said, “The pressure from the administration is so much, to such an extent, that teachers feel compelled to attend such events.”“There have been other instances where the chief minister was the chief guest and teachers, too, were called upon and assigned duties during programmes related to the distribution of appointment letters or awards. This is usually done to put up a show in terms of the number of guests gracing a particular occasion,” Mohan added.SP vs BJP face-offAs The Wire reported earlier in its analysis, the Narendra Modi government’s defeat on the three Constitution Amendment Bills is significant, “marking the first such instance in the Lok Sabha, and only the second time this century after 2002, that a government bill of this nature has been defeated”.While chief minister Yogi Adityanath was quoted at the rally as saying, “The Opposition’s conduct has been against women’s dignity,” former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, at a press conference in Lucknow on April 19, showed reporters an old clip of Adityanath speaking about the need for consensus within the BJP on the issue. “The party needs to discuss it internally before it is taken up in Parliament. Why should we be part of something initiated by the Congress? This is an issue we want to raise within the party,” Adityanath can be heard saying in the clip.Speaking to The Wire, Rajya Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party leader Ramji Lal Suman said, “This is a serious issue and sets a dangerous precedent. As representatives of a political party, one should be aware of the limits and boundaries of politics. A government employee should not be roped into a programme led by a political party. This is not good for the health of a democracy.”Referring to the inauguration of the Noida International Airport (Jewar Airport) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28, Suman added, “Even there, mostly government employees – from Anganwadi workers to teachers – had been called upon. Teachers are already entrusted with several ancillary functions, be it census enumeration or revision of electoral rolls, but involving them in non-government activities is not appropriate.”“The women’s reservation bill had already been cleared in 2023. The issue here is delimitation. They [the BJP] knew it would not muster a majority, so their main objective was simply to indulge in campaigning of sorts,” Suman said.Despite repeated attempts, calls made to Dr Monika Rani, Director General, Department of Basic Education, went unanswered. The Wire has sent a questionnaire to the official email address of the Director General. This story will be updated when a response is received. Similarly, calls to Barabanki’s Basic Shiksha Adhikari, Naveen Kumar Pathak, also went unanswered.Responding to whether government employees should be asked to participate in political rallies, UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said, “I don’t think anyone was forced to participate [in the rally]. If someone has participated of their own volition, then it is difficult to ascertain that individual’s affiliation.”Refuting allegations that block-wise lists were prepared and directions issued to government school teachers, Shukla added, “The BJP never conducts political rallies on the basis of support from government employees. How can a political party issue such directions to government employees?”“It was a good experience,” said a fourth government school teacher, confirming that she had attended the event. “But right now, I’m caught up in a training session related to the population census,” she added before disconnecting the call.