Gorakhpur: A police training centre in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s hometown turned into a protest site on Wednesday morning, after nearly 600 women recruits stormed out of their barracks in tears, alleging misconduct, overcrowding, privacy violations, and humiliation at the hands of trainers. The sudden protest sent shockwaves through the state’s security establishment, especially with the Chief Minister scheduled to visit the same PAC campus on Thursday for a ₹252 crore development event.
The protest erupted around 8 a.m. at the PAC training centre in the Bichhiya area, where the newly recruited female constables are undergoing training. Screaming and sobbing, the recruits accused the administration of installing cameras near bathroom galleries, cramming nearly double the number of trainees into the barracks, and allowing instructors to humiliate them during inspections.
One of the protesting women said, “There are cameras near the bathrooms. Our videos may have been recorded. What will happen to us now? Some officers came and scolded us but didn’t listen to our concerns.”
The scene created panic among senior police officers, especially because Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had already reached Gorakhpur ahead of his scheduled visit to the same PAC tower on Thursday. Top officers, including the ADG and local trainers, rushed to the scene and held talks with the women for nearly five hours before the situation was defused.
Political Fallout and Swift Action
As news of the protest spread, the matter escalated to Lucknow. A physical training instructor (PTI) was suspended for using abusive language against the trainees. Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna called an emergency meeting, pulling in all senior officials of police training academies, PAC battalions, and police colleges across the state.
According to sources, the DGP lashed out at the officers for gross negligence, pointing out that the training schedule was fixed in advance and there was no excuse for the chaos. More departmental action is expected in the coming days.
Electricity, Water, and Privacy Concerns
ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash later said that the protest stemmed from issues related to power and water shortages, which have now been resolved. IG PAC Central Zone Preetinder Singh, who conducted a preliminary probe, claimed that the allegation of cameras inside bathrooms was found to be untrue. He said the training centre had already resolved the infrastructure issues.
The PAC facility in Bichhiya is currently hosting women recruits selected from the recent recruitment drive of 60,000 constables. Training at the Gorakhpur centre began on July 21.
Pregnancy Test Directive Sparks More Anger
The protests were further inflamed after it emerged that a directive had been issued for conducting pregnancy tests during the health check-up of the women recruits. Sources said DIG Rohan P. had sent a letter to the Chief Medical Officer requesting a medical team for pregnancy screening. This sparked outrage among the trainees, many of whom viewed it as an invasion of privacy and dignity.
IG Training Chandra Prakash later cancelled the directive, clarifying that no unmarried woman would be subjected to a pregnancy test. “If any woman is pregnant, she can submit a sworn affidavit and join training with the next batch,” he said.
As per standard training protocols, married women are tested for pregnancy, while unmarried recruits are required to file a declaration stating they are not pregnant. If any are found to be pregnant, they are shifted to a later training batch.
Akhilesh Attacks BJP Over Women’s Safety
Reacting to the controversy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp political attack on the BJP government. “If this is the condition in the Chief Minister’s own city, what must be happening elsewhere?” he said, calling BJP’s slogan of “Nari Vandana” a hollow gimmick.
The Gorakhpur training centre protest has sparked state-wide concern about the conditions in which thousands of new women recruits are being trained — and the glaring gap between policy promises and ground reality.
