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........

© The Wire