Mahua Moitra
Kanwar Yatra nameplate case, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has moved the Supreme Court against the order of the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners. In her petition, Moitra has urged a stay on the order issued by both the state governments, saying that such instructions promote disputes between communities. The petition is yet to be listed for hearing.
This argument in Mahua’s petition
It has been alleged that the relevant order has been issued with the aim of economic boycott of Muslim shop owners and artisans and harming their livelihood. Let us tell you that there is a political controversy over the order of the UP government. All opposition parties including SP, Congress have opposed the decision linking it to Muslim discrimination. RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, an ally of the NDA at the Center, has also opposed this decision.
Kanwar Yatra starts from today
Meanwhile, extensive arrangements have been made in many states for the Kanwar Yatra, which began on Monday, July 22 with the beginning of the month of Sawan. During this time, lakhs of Shiva devotees reach Haridwar and take holy water from the Ganges to their homes as well as perform Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva in their temples. The Uttar Pradesh government announced several measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra starting from July 22. The Yogi government ordered that the name and identity of the operator/owner be displayed on food and beverage shops on the Kanwar routes so that the sanctity of the faith of the pilgrims is maintained. Additionally, action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products.
Muzaffarnagar police gave orders first
First, the Muzaffarnagar police had urged all the eateries on the Kanwar route to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees, saying that the purpose of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination but only for the convenience of the devotees. Saharanpur DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni said that there have been cases in the past as well when Kanwariyas have had arguments over the rate list of food at hotels and dhabas.
Apart from this, there have been cases where non-veg is available at a hotel/dhaba or a person from another community has opened a hotel/dhaba under some other name and this has led to a dispute. In view of this, it was decided that the name of the owner/proprietor of the shops/hotels/dhabas will be clearly written on the board, the rate list will be clearly written and the names of the workers will also be clearly written, so that there is no problem of any kind… Everyone has been talked to and all the hotels/dhabas have agreed to this… This decision has been taken for our Kanwar route.