Overview

• On July 11, Sigra police registered an FIR against Rai, 10 named supporters and about 40–50 others under Sections 285, 326(b) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for unlawful assembly and traffic obstruction.
• The case stems from Rai’s July 10 ‘Pol Khol Padyatra’, a 1.5-kilometre march from Englishia Line to Sajan Chowk meant to expose potholes and waterlogged roads in Varanasi.
• Station House Officer Sanjay Kumar said the demonstration blocked traffic near the railway station and bus stand, leaving commuters and ambulances stranded.
• Rai maintained the FIR reflected the BJP government’s fear of exposing infrastructure failures and pledged to continue protests across Uttar Pradesh.
• Varanasi’s dilapidated roads have drawn heightened scrutiny ahead of the Kanwar Yatra and state elections, intensifying opposition challenges to the ruling party’s development record.