A False Rape Case In Eastern UP Becomes A Test Of The BJP’s Caste Balancing Act

The 'Kaushambi case' underscores the delicate balance that the ruling BJP has to maintain between various caste communities in Uttar Pradesh.

A man belonging to the Brahmin community committed suicide on 4 June after his son was arrested in a rape case in Uttar Pradesh's (UP) Kaushambi. A week later, UP Police revealed that the rape allegations by a minor girl of the Pal community were false. The Pals come under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community in Uttar Pradesh.

This is because DCM Keshav Prasad Maurya hails from Kaushambi and is an OBC by caste, while another DCM Brajesh Pathak belongs to the Brahmin community. Also, it was Pathak who wrote to the Principal Secretary after the Brahmin man's suicide, directing him to ensure justice and strict action against the culprits.