QR codes, 'Hindu-friendly' dhabas: Kanwar Yatra directives raise eyebrows in Uttar Pradesh

As per DIG Kalanidhi Naithani, the 540-km Kanwar route covering Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, and Hapur will see the deployment of extensive police and security forces.

As the Kanwar Yatra picks up pace in Uttar Pradesh, a fresh political and legal storm is brewing over new identity-related regulations enforced by the Yogi Adityanath-led government.

The state's directive, mandating restaurants and eateries along the yatra route to display nameplates identifying their owners and staff, has drawn sharp political backlash and has been challenged in the Supreme Court. Despite a temporary stay by the apex court, enforcement continues on the ground.

Muzaffarnagar MLA and Minister of State Kapil Dev Agarwal asked all hotels and dhaba owners to put up signboards displaying their real names. The minister’s remark, widely seen as a veiled reference to religious identity, has drawn sharp reactions from civil society and political observers.

“It does not matter who runs the establishment, but the real name of the owner must be displayed outside,” Agarwal said, urging compliance before the arrival of lakhs of Shiva devotees. Though he did not name any community directly, the timing and phrasing of his statement have triggered concern over religious profiling and communal overtones.

According to the state government’s order, all food stalls, restaurants, and dhabas along the 540-km-long Kanwar route from Meerut to Muzaffarnagar must display the names, addresses, and contact details of their proprietors. In addition, open sale of meat has been banned along the yatra route, and shops must carry valid licences.

BJP spokesperson Sanjay Chaudhry said that the Kanwarias have been asked to make payment through QR code, so that they could know the identity of the shop owners,

The suggestion has led to ground-level actions by activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), who have been visiting eateries, checking nameplates, questioning shopkeepers about their religion, and pasting posters of Hindu deities—especially Varaha (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu)—on establishments they deem “Hindu-friendly.” QR codes are also being scanned to verify ownership, and saffron flags are being planted on selected stalls.

At several highway-side dhabas in Meerut, VHP cadres were seen interrogating owners. "We check if the name matches the owner. If garlic or onion is being used in food, we ask them to remove it. Purity matters,” said Manoj Mishra, a VHP functionary

Pawan Kumar, a devotee on the Kanwar route, supported the move. “Earlier, we had to ask and verify who was cooking our food. Now with nameplates, it's much clearer. The Yogi government has done the right thing.” Another pilgrim, Aman, added, “We only eat at Hindu dhabas. Previously, we even avoided drinking water at some places fearing contamination.”

VHP district president Kapil argued that “a devout Sanatani walking 100–200 km deserves to know whose food he is consuming. We are also putting up deity images to clarify that it's a Hindu establishment.”

Political backlash

However, political opposition is mounting. Congress MP Imran Masood accused the BJP of “destroying India’s shared heritage.”  He told this reporter: “This order is a conspiracy to divide society. Is this decision discrimination in the name of security? Is the government playing religion-based politics?”

Former Samajwadi Party MP Dr. S.T. Hasan went further, saying, “Asking hotel staff and vendors to reveal names and forcing them to undress to identify religion is no different from what terrorists did in Pahalgam… This too is a form of terrorism.” He urged federal and state governments to intervene to halt these “communal practices.”

BJP spokesperson Sanjay Chaudhry defended the orders to check identify actual owner of the eatery. “This is not a diktat, it is about Hindu pride. Love jihad, land jihad, food jihad—this is our warning. If they do not reform, the law will.”

“This order has no communal overtone. This is a matter of food purity and safety,” he said.

Supreme Court intervention and defiance

On July 22, the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on the UP government’s order, observing that forcing food businesses to disclose personal details could infringe upon the fundamental right to privacy. The court emphasized that eateries may only display the kind of food they serve—not owner identities.

Despite the stay, on September 24, CM Yogi Adityanath issued a fresh directive extending the rule statewide. The new order mandates that every eatery must publicly display names and details of owners, managers, and staff. CCTV cameras, food safety protocols, and mandatory police verification of all workers were also included in the updated guidelines.

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered strict monitoring along the Kanwar route, requiring shops to display valid licences and names or face fines of up to Rs 2 lakh.

Security, arrangements

As per DIG Kalanidhi Naithani, the 540-km Kanwar route covering Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, and Hapur will see the deployment of extensive police and security forces. A total of 838 rest camps have been set up: 464 in Meerut, 176 in Bulandshahr, 90 in Baghpat, and 108 in Hapur. Additionally, 10 toll plazas and 119 security barriers are operational.

Approximately 20 lakh pilgrims are expected to visit Baba Puramahadev Temple in Baghpat during Shravan month. Other major pilgrimage sites include Augharnath Temple in Meerut (4 lakh visitors), Brijghat in Hapur (4 lakh), Ambakeshwar Mahadev in Bulandshahr (70,000), and Sabli Temple in Hapur (50,000).

This year, Kanwar Yatra commences on 11 July, after Guru Purnima and on the first day of Sawan month and concludes on 23 July, on Sawan Shivratri.

While the state defends the move as essential to ensuring the sanctity of the Kanwar Yatra, critics view it as yet another instance of communal profiling under the guise of pilgrimage protection. With both legal scrutiny and political opposition intensifying, the battle over ‘identity’ along the holy Kanwar path is far from over.