Adityanath's directive to eateries along Kanwar Yatra route sparks row
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, on Friday issued a directive mandating all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names. This decision follows the reversal of a similar order by the Muzaffarnagar Police due to opposition backlash. The new rule requires every food shop or cart owner to prominently display their name on a board. The initial order had triggered political outrage, with leaders from both opposition and ruling parties claiming it could foster division.
Critcism of the order
Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi criticized the directive. "Hasty orders from some over-zealous officials may give rise to the disease of untouchability...Faith must be respected, but untouchability must not be patronized," Naqvi wrote on X. Additionally, KC Tyagi, national spokesperson of Janata Dal (United), a key ally of the BJP at the Centre, called for the withdrawal of the Muzaffarnagar Police order. Tyagi suggested that such a directive could cause communal tension.
Muzaffarnagar administration revised order
In response to the criticism, the Muzaffarnagar administration revised its order on Thursday, suggesting that people could voluntarily display the names of owners on their eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route. However, CM Adityanath brought the issue into limelight again on Friday after he made it mandatory for all eateries and food carts along the route to display owner names.
Opposition leaders accuse CM of promoting untouchability
Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi attacked the CM over this decision. "We condemn this order as it violates Article 17 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits untouchability. The Uttar Pradesh government is promoting untouchability. This order...is a violation of Article 21 (right to life) and Article 19 (right to livelihood)," Owaisi told news agency ANI. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also criticized the order, calling it "a social crime aimed at dividing society."
Original order aimed to avoid confusion: Muzaffarnagar Police
The Muzaffarnagar police had initially asked eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display owner names to "avoid any confusion" among the yatris. They insisted the intention was not to create religious discrimination but to facilitate devotees. The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage during which Shiva worshippers undertake a trek, mostly on foot, to collect water from the Ganga and offer it in Shiva temples across states. This year's yatra will be held from July 22 to August 2.
