The confrontation took place on Wednesday after classes, when students returning home saw the legislator’s convoy passing through the area. They blocked its path and complained that prolonged waterlogging had transformed the route into a muddy, slippery stretch where children risk falling while travelling to and from school.
Chaudhary, who represents the Rudhauli Assembly constituency, stepped out of his vehicle and spoke to the students. The children then led him towards the affected section of the road and showed him the conditions they encounter each day.
Students said they were routinely forced to walk through accumulated water and mud, often reaching school with soaked shoes and dirty uniforms. Some children were reported to have slipped and fallen while trying to negotiate the route.
The MLA contacted officials from the site and sought action to address the problem. He assured the students that steps would be taken to improve the road, after which they allowed the convoy to continue.
The affected stretch forms part of the Saryu Canal Division-4 canal route leading towards Mudadiha, also known as Bhopalpur, and Hanumanganj. The road has a brick-paved surface, but monsoon rainfall and inadequate drainage have left sections submerged or covered in thick mud.
Hundreds of students use the Hanumanganj canal road every day. Educational institutions served by the route include an intermediate college, a government upper primary school and a primary school, making its condition particularly significant for children and their families.
The protest has drawn attention because of the direct manner in which young students confronted an elected representative instead of relying on adults to raise the issue on their behalf. Their decision to stop the convoy turned an everyday infrastructure problem into a public political demand.
The episode also comes amid wider concern over access to basic facilities at schools and the condition of approach roads across parts of Uttar Pradesh during the monsoon. Students elsewhere in the state have also taken to public spaces this month to press authorities over deficiencies affecting their education.
More than 100 students in Lucknow, for example, blocked a busy road on August 14 while protesting shortages of teachers and demanding improvements in facilities. Another group of schoolchildren in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh stopped a ministerial convoy on August 14 to complain about the absence of a properly levelled approach road and problems with electricity at their school.
Such demonstrations underline how deficiencies beyond the classroom can directly affect attendance, safety and learning. Poor access roads become particularly disruptive during heavy rains, when unpaved or damaged stretches can become difficult for pedestrians, bicycles and school vehicles.
Basti district has five Assembly constituencies — Harraiya, Kaptanganj, Rudhauli, Basti Sadar and Mahadewa. Chaudhary is the Samajwadi Party legislator from Rudhauli and has represented the constituency in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly since 2022.
The students’ intervention also placed responsibility on several layers of administration because the disputed stretch is associated with a canal route rather than an ordinary municipal street. Repairs, drainage improvements and maintenance can therefore require coordination between local authorities and the department responsible for the canal infrastructure.
Waterlogging on brick-paved roads can deteriorate surfaces rapidly. Standing water loosens underlying soil, creates uneven sections and allows mud to accumulate between bricks. For children travelling on foot, the immediate hazards include slipping, exposure to dirty water and difficulty carrying schoolbags safely.
