On Thursday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticized the Muzaffarnagar police’s order for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names, labeling it a “social crime.” He urged the courts to intervene and address this issue immediately. The police claim the order is meant to prevent “confusion,” but opposition parties argue it unfairly targets Muslim traders.
In response to the order, Akhilesh Yadav posted on X (formerly Twitter), asking what difference it would make if the owner’s name were Guddu, Munna, Chhotu, or Fatte.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister urged the court to investigate the matter independently, investigate the government’s motives, and take the necessary action.
He said the order is a harmful move that threatens the peaceful atmosphere and disrupts community harmony.
Akhilesh Yadav wasn’t the only one to criticize the decision. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati and other members of the opposition also criticized the order and called for its withdrawal.
Mayawati criticized the new government order that requires hotels, dhabas, carts, and shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route in western Uttar Pradesh and Muzaffarnagar to display the full names of their owners. She argued that this practice is harmful and could disrupt community harmony. She urged the government to withdraw the order for the sake of public interest.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera slammed the measure as “state-sponsored bigotry.” Similarly, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi drew comparisons to historical acts of discrimination, likening it to apartheid in South Africa and the Nazi-era boycott of Jewish businesses.
The situation intensified when Congress and AIMIM released a video of Police Chief Abhishek Singh defending the order during a media briefing. Khera highlighted the necessity of a unified stance against these discriminatory measures, warning that failure to act could lead to a regression into an era of intolerance under the BJP-led government. He urged that collective opposition is crucial to prevent a return to darker times.
In a post on social media platform X, Owaisi aimed the new requirement for shop owners to display their names, comparing it to oppressive practices from the past. He argued that this move seems designed to isolate and discriminate against Muslim businesses, voicing concerns shared by many other politicians. His comments reflect a broader worry that the policy could unfairly target and marginalize certain communities.
This follows a recent comment by Muzaffarnagar MLA and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Kapil Dev Aggarwal, who suggested that while he doesn’t mind Muslims running businesses along the yatra route, they should refrain from using names associated with Hindu gods or goddesses to avoid any potential conflicts.
The Muzaffarnagar police explained that during the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, many pilgrims from neighboring states travel through Western Uttar Pradesh to collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar. Since many Kanwariyas observe dietary restrictions during this holy month, there have been past instances where shopkeepers along the route used names for their shops which led to confusion and potential law and order issues.
They explained that to avoid repeating such issues and to respect the devotees’ faith, hotels, dhabas, and shopkeepers along the Kanwar Marg have been asked to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees.
The concerns raised by politicians are not without reason. The USCIRF’s annual report urged the US State Department to classify India, along with several other countries, as a “country of particular concern” due to severe religious freedom issues.
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