Farhad Alam Gada, a local leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP), is facing a First Information Report (FIR) in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly teaching kids “politicized alphabets” at a so-called “PDA Pathshala.” A video that was allegedly shot in Gada’s house went popular on social media. It showed private school kids in uniform learning slogans like “A for Akhilesh,” “B for Babasaheb,” “D for Dimple,” and “M for Mulayam Singh Yadav.”
Main Singh, who lives in Kallarpur Gurjar hamlet, filed the complaint against Gada for teaching these lessons. SP City Vyom Bindal said that the FIR was filed. The video that caused a lot of controversy spread swiftly online, bringing attention to the kind of “education” it was giving.
पढ़ाई के लिए तो FIR अंग्रेजों तक ने नहीं की थी।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 3, 2025
भाजपा का शिक्षा विरोधी चेहरा अब जनता के सामने उजागर हो गया है। अब भाजपा हमेशा के लिए जाएगी।
निंदनीय! pic.twitter.com/VzMAmf0ljm
Akhilesh Yadav defends and Gada explains.
Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party, quickly spoke out against what the state administration did on “X” (previously Twitter). “Even the British didn’t submit a FIR to study. People may clearly see the BJP’s anti-education side. The BJP is gone for good now. The previous chief minister wrote, “Condemnable.”
Farhad Gada, on the other hand, defended what he did by saying that the “PDA Pathshala” was not just about teaching the alphabet but also about getting kids to know the “great men of Samajwadi ideology.” He also talked about intentions to build more schools like this one all around the district.
More SP Leaders Booked: A Bigger Controversy
This isn’t the only time this has happened. Other Samajwadi Party politicians have also been sued over “PDA Pathshalas” and protests against school mergers.
On Friday, a FIR was lodged against SP leader Rachna Singh Gautam in Kanpur for allegedly holding an unlawful “PDA Pathshala” outside a government primary school in the Bilhaur block hamlet of Shahampur Garhi. Police said that this “Pathshala” broke many laws, including the IT Act and the Right to Education (RTE) Act. They said that it misused government property, distributed false information, and got kids involved in politics. Ravi Kumar Singh, the Block Education Officer (BEO), said that he sent the district government photographs and recordings of pupils reciting SP-related words and allegedly wrong educational information, which Gautam herself shared on social media.
Also, another SP leader and about a dozen other people in Bhadohi were arrested for allegedly getting pupils to join a protest against the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to consolidate schools with low enrollment. These activities show that there is more and more tension between the ruling party and the opposition about how politics and education are connected in the state.