Kanwar Yatra eateries row: UP government says nameplates order ‘to ensure…’

The Uttar Pradesh government has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court opposing petitions that challenge its directive on displaying shop owners' names along the Kanwar Yatra route. The government argued that the directive aims to ensure a peaceful Kanwar Yatra and promote transparency after the Supreme Court put an interim stay.

The Yogi Adityanath government explained that the idea behind the directive is transparency and informed choice of the consumer/Kanwaria regarding the food they eat during the period of the Yatra, keeping in mind their religious sentiments so that they don’t, even accidentally, fall foul of their beliefs.

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On Monday, the Supreme Court halted implementation of controversial directives from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand that required eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display information about their owners and staff. The court also issued notices to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, where a similar order has been issued in Ujjain.

The court, however, said eateries may be required to display the kind of food they are serving like they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

The top court was hearing a batch of pleas including those by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, academician Apoorvanand Jha, columnist Aakar Patel, and NGO Association of Protection of Civil Rights challenging the directives.

No one appeared for the state governments in the apex court on Monday. It has posted the matter for hearing on July 26.

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The opposition thanked the Supreme Court for issuing a stay on the directive. Congress welcomed the order and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should remind Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief ministers of their "raj dharma."

Right-wing groups criticised the ruling and hoped that the "basic human rights" of pilgrims would be upheld in the next court hearing. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) secretary general Bajrang Bagda said that the order has "demotivated the Hindu community, Hindu pilgrims, and Kanwar Yatris."