In a move aimed at preserving the religious sanctity of the Kanwar Yatra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has mandated that all eateries and restaurants along the pilgrimage route must display the nameplate of their proprietor. This decision, announced on Friday and reported by news agency ANI, was echoed by the state of Uttarakhand, which issued similar guidelines to assist the pilgrims.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) further decreed that actions would be taken against establishments selling products with Halal certification. The Uttarakhand Police also warned of stringent measures against non-compliance, with Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Pramod Singh Dobal stating that all food vendors must display the proprietor’s name, QR code, and mobile number. Failure to comply would result in strict actions, including removal from the Kanwar route.
This directive follows recent instructions from Muzaffarnagar Police, which required eateries along the Yatra route to display the names of their owners to prevent any “confusion.” The decision has sparked controversy, with opposition parties condemning it as state-sponsored bigotry and an attempt to target Muslim traders.
Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ajay Rai criticized the directive, arguing that it aims to create division and disrupt social harmony. “This is absolutely impractical. They are trying to impair the sense of brotherhood in society, trying to create distance among people. This should be cancelled immediately,” he said.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi drew parallels between the Uttar Pradesh police’s decision and historical instances of discrimination, such as apartheid in South Africa and the Judenboycott in Nazi Germany. “As per the order of the 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,” he stated.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also denounced the orders, labeling them as social crimes designed to disrupt the peaceful environment. In contrast, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi criticized the orders for potentially fostering untouchability. Naqvi emphasized the importance of respecting faith without encouraging social discrimination.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Naqvi cautioned against the hastily issued orders, saying, “Kuch ati-utsahi adhikariyon ke aadesh hadbadi mein gadbadi wali… asprishyata ki bimari ko badhawa de sakte hain… astha ka samman hona chahiye, par asprishyata ka sanrakshan nahi hona chahiye” (the hasty orders of some overzealous officials may spread the disease of untouchability… Faith must be respected, but untouchability must not be encouraged).
UP minister Kapil Dev Agarwal supported the move, alleging that some Muslim traders sell non-vegetarian food under Hindu names to deceive pilgrims. He cited examples such as “Vaishno Dhaba Bhandar” and “Shuddh Bhojanalaya” allegedly selling non-vegetarian food.
In response to the escalating debate, the Uttar Pradesh police clarified that the intent behind the order is not to incite religious discrimination but to aid the devotees during their pilgrimage. The Kanwar Yatra is scheduled to commence on Monday, July 22.