Lucknow, July 11: Allahabad High Court today ordered an interim stay on caste-based rallies by political parties across Uttar Pradesh, where ruling and main Opposition parties thrive on caste arithmetic.

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which have been holding caste rallies to build support ahead of next year’s general election, tentatively welcomed the ruling while saying they needed to go through the full order.

The Congress and the BJP appeared more enthusiastic in their applause for the order.

“We stay caste-based rallies throughout the state of UP,” a division bench of the Lucknow bench of the high court said while hearing a public interest litigation moved by a local lawyer seeking a ban on caste rallies.

It sent notices to the Centre, the state government, the Election Commission and four political parties: the Samajwadis, BSP, Congress and the BJP. Hearings will resume after the respondents reply within a four-week deadline.

Legal experts said the stay would not apply to political rallies addressing religious communities or to social gatherings held by apolitical caste-based organisations.

Petitioner Motilal Yadav has argued that caste-based rallies run counter to the spirit of the Constitution, which upholds the principle of equality and bans caste discrimination.

“Caste-based rallies are creating enmity among castes and promoting caste discrimination,” the petition alleged. As an instance of a caste really, it cited the BSP’s July 7 Brahmin maha sammelan (mega rally) in Lucknow.

Samajwadi minister Ambika Chaudhary said: “Ideologically, being a socialist party, we don’t encourage caste divisions. We welcome the order.” Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhari, however, argued that caste rallies were meant to empower backward communities, not divide them. “We are, however, studying the order to (get a) perspective,” he added.

The Samajwadis have held numerous rallies for Brahmins and Vaishyas over the past six months.