In a significant development shaking the BJP’s grassroots in Uttar Pradesh, ten booth presidents from Bulandshahr have collectively resigned, citing fury over the University Grants Commission’s newly notified regulations on promoting equity in higher education institutions.
The resignations, submitted on January 28, 2026, come from booth leaders affiliated with the Shakti Kendra in Murari Nagar, Khurja. Key figures include Vinay Kumar Gupta (Booth 268), Rajveer Singh (261), Purushottam Chauhan (269), Chandrashekhar Sharma (270), Neeraj Kumar (202), Praveen Radhav (271), Mukesh Kumar (272), Shivendra Chauhan (263), and Satendra Chauhan (274).
Their resignation letter blasts the UGC’s ‘Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026,’ accusing it of portraying the upper caste (savarna) community as perpetual oppressors and exploiters. ‘The savarna society has always been a staunch supporter of the BJP, but this law has sparked widespread anger,’ the letter states. They claim it’s become impossible to promote the party’s schemes amid this backlash.
The leaders demand the withdrawal of the UGC rules, threatening to step down from their booth committees entirely if unmet. The letter has gone viral on social media, amplifying the dissent.
This Bulandshahr episode is part of a broader wave of protests across Uttar Pradesh against the UGC norms, notified on January 13, 2026. The regulations mandate equity committees, helplines, monitoring teams, and grievance mechanisms in higher education to curb caste discrimination, primarily targeting biases against SC, ST, and OBC students.
Critics from the general category argue the rules are one-sided, offering no safeguards for upper-caste students and opening doors to misuse via false complaints. Similar resignations have rocked BJP ranks in districts like Pilibhit, Saharanpur, Firozabad, Baghpat, Raebareli, and Lucknow. Upper-caste groups have staged demonstrations, with some filing Supreme Court petitions.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has reassured that the rules will stay within constitutional bounds and won’t be misused, but the unrest signals deepening rifts within the BJP’s traditional voter base ahead of key electoral battles.