UP CM Yogi Orders Eateries On Kanwar Yatra Across State To Display Owners’ Names
Surveillance through CCTV and drones will monitor the Kanwar Yatra, ensuring safety and security measures are upheld. (PTI Photo)
The CMO order further stated that action will be taken against those found selling products with Halal certification.
After Uttar Pradesh government, Uttarakhand issued directives to install a ‘nameplate’ of the proprietor of all the eateries, restaurants on board on the Kanwar Yatra route across the state. The decision comes hours after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the nameplate installation in a bid to maintain the purity of the faith of Kanwar pilgrims, reported news agency ANI citing a UP CMO order.
The CMO order further stated that action will be taken against those found selling products with Halal certification.
The decision came days after Muzaffarnagar Police issued directives to all the eateries enroute the Yatra to display names of their respective owners in a move to avoid any “confusion”. However, a controversy was triggered after the opposition parties dubbed the move as a ‘state-sponsored bigotry’ and action targeting ‘Muslim’ traders.
Congress’ UP unit chief Ajay Rai condemned the decision and said that the BJP-led government is trying to create distance among people. “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 Uttar Pradesh’s police decision to “apartheid” in South Africa and “Judenboycott” in Hitler’s 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 said.
Slamming the state government, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Such orders are social crimes. The government wants to spoil the peaceful atmosphere.”
Meanwhile, UP minister Kapil Dev Agarwal has claimed some of the Muslim traders sell non veg food items to the pilgrims under the garb of Hindu names. “They write names like Vaishno Dhaba Bhandar, Shakumbhari Devi Bhojanalaya, and Shuddh Bhojanalaya and sell non-vegetarian food,” India Today reported citing the minister.
Amid a raging debate over the directive, UP police have put out a statement clarifying that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of “religious discrimination” but only to facilitate the devotees.
The Kanwar Yatra is set to commence on Monday, July 22.