All section Close
Image Credit: Times Of India
Fact Check: News Reports Claiming Vehicles Displaying Caste Stickers To Be Seized In Uttar Pradesh Is Not True
India, 28 Dec 2020 12:54 PM GMT | Updated 28 Dec 2020 1:37 PM GMT
Editor : Bharat Nayak |
As the founding editor, Bharat had been heading the newsroom during the formation years of the organization and worked towards editorial policies, conceptualizing and designing campaign strategies and collaborations. He believes that through the use of digital media, one could engage the millennial's in rational conversations about pertinent social issues, provoking them to think and bring a behavioral change accordingly.
Creatives : Yusha Rahman
Yusha, an engineer turned journalist with a core interest in sensible journalism. Since the time she worked in an MNC, she saw how fake news was rife to malign images of communities, leaders, etc. This encouraged her to give up her career in MNC and passionately work towards curbing fake news and propaganda.
Media houses and Social Media users claimed that vehicles will be seized in Uttar Pradesh for displaying caste stickers. The Logical Indian Fact Check team investigated the claim.
Many people on social media are claiming that vehicles having caste names written on it will be seized in Uttar Pradesh. One of the post says, "Vehicles in UP will be seized if it has caste name like Thakur, Brahman etc written on it. PMO has directed State Govt to act on it."
Vehicles in UP will be seized if it has caste name like Thakur, Brahman etc written on it. PMO has directed State Govt to act on it.
Posted by Namo Bharath - Narendra Modi For PM on Sunday, 27 December 2020
Many people are sharing the post on Twitter and Facebook.
Kind attention the peoples of #UttarPradesh
— Raw Politics (@rawpolitics_IN) December 27, 2020
Vehicles in UP will be seized if it has caste name like Thakur, Brahman etc written on it. PMO has directed State Govt to act on it. #YogiAdityanath #CM #vehicle #rule @nshuklain @ARanganathan72 @ramnikmann @shalabhmani pic.twitter.com/lkto5ldoQf
"Vehicles with caste stickers to be seized in UP", Hindustan Times reported the news on December 27. They reported that according to an order sent by Additional Transport Commissioner Mukesh Chandra to all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), the vehicles displaying caste stickers will be seized. The archive of the report can be seen here.
Claim:
The vehicles displaying caste stickers will be seized in Uttar Pradesh.
Fact Check:
News 18 on December 27 reported that a teacher from Maharashtra, Harshal Prabhu, wrote a letter to IGRS, an integrated system designed for redressal of grievances, complaining about the display of caste stickers on the vehicles. He in his letter said that caste display on vehicles have become very prevalent and it is a threat to the social fabric of the society. Based on the instruction from Prime Minister's Office, the Transport Department of Uttar Pradesh sent an order to Regional Transport Authorities to take an action in this regard.
The order sent by Mukesh Chandra has the part of the letter that was written to PMO by Harshal Prabhu. In the letter, he wrote that vehicles displaying the caste stickers should be seized. The letter was sent from PMO to Uttar Pradesh Transport Department. The Additional Commissioner of Transport department, Mukesh Chandra further sent the same letter to regional authorities to take action based on the law. In the letter Mukesh Chandra never said vehicles will be seized, he ordered to take appropriate action against those violating the law by pasting stickers.
The Print quoted Ramfer Dwivedi, the Regional Transport Officer for Lucknow district, who said, "People display status by putting caste and sub-caste name tags on their SUVs, cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, but this is not allowed. No one should write anything else on the number plate."
The Logical Indian contacted Mukesh Chandra, Additional Transport Commissioner, who said, the order never spoke about seizing the vehicle. Mukesh Chandra confirmed to us that the viral letter is true and said in the letter he never said about seizing the vehicles but to take action based on Motor Vehicle Act. He told, "We issued an order to take the action based on the existing law". He also informed that it is illegal to write anything on the number plate and can attract a penalty for the violation. He confirmed no new law has been passed but the action will be taken in accordance with the existing law. The Transport Department instructed Regional Offices to look into the matter and take action accordingly. Chandra said, "We circulated the order based on a recent complaint, but no new law regarding this has been passed. We have asked regional authorities to take action based on existing law regarding tampering of number plates."
Recently, a Challan was issued on a vehicle in Lucknow for displaying 'Saxena Ji', reported Zee News.
It is not for the first time that the Uttar Pradesh government is taking action against the display of caste stickers on vehicles. According to a report published by The Times Of India on October 27, 2019, "Nearly 250 drivers were penalised for having stickers on their vehicles." The report said that penalties were imposed under section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act and rule numbers 50 and 51 of the MV rules 1989, under which any kind of tampering with number plates is punishable.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
Also Read: Fact Check: Old Image Of Dead Man Circulated With Claim Of Farmer Dying In Delhi Protest
Must Reads
We are an independent and public-spirited digital media platform for Indian millennials. We report news and issues that matter as well as give you the opportunity to take action.
