Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district have directed dhabas, food stalls and hotels along the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage route to display the names of their owners and operators in order to “avoid any confusion” among the pilgrims.
“Preparations have begun for the kanwar yatra. In the area under our jurisdiction, which is around 240 km, all eateries – hotels, dhabas, thelas (roadside carts) – have been instructed to display the names of their proprietors or those running the shop. This is being done to ensure that there’s no confusion among the kanwarias and no allegations are raised in the future, leading to a law and order situation. Everyone is following this of their own free will,” said Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Singh as quoted by PTI.
On Wednesday, police in the Muzaffarnagar district issued this order.
During the month of Sawan, which begins from July 22, people from Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan walk to Rishikesh and Haridwar in Uttarakhand to collect water from the Ganga river and bring it back to be offered in Shiva temples.
According to Indian Express, eatery owners in Muzaffarnagar acknowledged that the orders are being enforced. A tea stall owner in Khatauli told Indian Express that he changed the name of his establishment from Chai Lover’s Point to Waqeel Sahab Tea Stall. He claimed that officials told him this was not clear enough, so he again changed it to Waqeel Ahmad Tea Stall.
Meanwhile, the decision has stirred a debate. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi alleged the measure could marginalise Muslims from taking part in the yatra. In a post on X, he said: “As per the order of Uttar Pradesh Police, now every food shop or cart owner will have to put his name on the board so that no kanwariya buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany it was called ‘Judenboycott’.”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera called the order "state-sponsored bigotry". "Not just political parties, all right-thinking people and the media must rise against this state sponsored bigotry. We cannot allow the BJP to push the country back into the dark ages,” posted on X.
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav asked the judiciary to take suo motu cognizance of the matter to probe the "intention of the government" behind the move.
"…and what will be known from the name of the one whose name is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? The honourable court should take suo motu cognizance and investigate the intentions of the government behind such administration and take appropriate punitive action. Such orders are social crimes, which want to spoil the peaceful atmosphere of harmony," Yadav said in Hindi in a post on X.
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) secretary general Bajrang Bagra also appealed to people to remain vigilant and immediately inform the local administration if they find anyone from the minority community selling puja items near temples and other Hindu religious sites, according to PTI.
Earlier advisories from the Uttar Pradesh government included restrictions on carrying weapons during the yatra, scheduled from July 22 to August 19. Liquor and meat shops along the yatra routes will remain closed. Authorities have been instructed to prevent stray animals from obstructing the pilgrims’ path. Surveillance through CCTV and drones will monitor the event, according to News18.
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