NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday faced criticism from several spectrum over its order directing Muzaffarnagar eateries to “voluntarily display” their owners’ names to “facilitate” Kanwar Yatris.
The orders have been issued to the eateries functional on the routes of Kanwar Yatra.
Police said the intention behind the order was not to create any “religious discrimination” but only to help the devotees.
“About 240 km of Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route, have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops,” Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Singh told news agency PTI.
“This has been done to ensure that there should be no confusion among kanwariyas and no law and order situation arises. All are following this voluntarily,” he said.
However, despite the clarification on the issue, a massive backlash has erupted over the order of UP Police.
Akhilesh Yadav seeks court intervention
Ex-UP chief minister and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav questioned the intention of the government and urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
The Samajwadi Party chief said, “… And what if the name of the owner is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? What can you find out from these names?”
“The honourable court should take suo motu cognizance of this matter and investigate the intentions of the government and take appropriate punitive action,” Akhilesh Yadav wrote in a post on X.
Akhilesh further said: “Such an order is a social crime aimed at spoiling the peaceful atmosphere and harmony”.
Like Nazi Germany, says Javed Akhtar
Reacting sharply to the Kanwar Yatra order being issued to the Muzaffarnagar eateries, Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar drew a parallel with Nazi Germany, saying only they used to “mark particular shops and houses”.
“Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops restaurants n even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why? In Nazi Germany they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses,” Javed Akhtar wrote in a post on X.
Owasi links order to Hitler’s Germany
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh Police and likened its move 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 Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called Apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany, it was called ‘Judenboycott’,” the Hyderabad MP wrote on X.
Clearing further on the issue, Uttar Pradesh Police said shopkeepers selling all types of food times on the Kanwar Yatra route created confusion in the past which led to a law and order situation.
The police said the decision was taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
“During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet,” the Muzaffarnagar police stated, according to PTI.
“In the past, such instances have come to light where some shopkeepers selling all types of food items on Kanwar Marg named their shops in such a way that it created confusion among the Kanwariyas and created a law and order situation. To prevent such a recurrence and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees,” it added.
The orders have been issued to the eateries functional on the routes of Kanwar Yatra.
Police said the intention behind the order was not to create any “religious discrimination” but only to help the devotees.
“About 240 km of Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route, have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops,” Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Singh told news agency PTI.
“This has been done to ensure that there should be no confusion among kanwariyas and no law and order situation arises. All are following this voluntarily,” he said.
However, despite the clarification on the issue, a massive backlash has erupted over the order of UP Police.
Akhilesh Yadav seeks court intervention
Ex-UP chief minister and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav questioned the intention of the government and urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
The Samajwadi Party chief said, “… And what if the name of the owner is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? What can you find out from these names?”
“The honourable court should take suo motu cognizance of this matter and investigate the intentions of the government and take appropriate punitive action,” Akhilesh Yadav wrote in a post on X.
Akhilesh further said: “Such an order is a social crime aimed at spoiling the peaceful atmosphere and harmony”.
Like Nazi Germany, says Javed Akhtar
Reacting sharply to the Kanwar Yatra order being issued to the Muzaffarnagar eateries, Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar drew a parallel with Nazi Germany, saying only they used to “mark particular shops and houses”.
“Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops restaurants n even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why? In Nazi Germany they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses,” Javed Akhtar wrote in a post on X.
Owasi links order to Hitler’s Germany
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh Police and likened its move 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 Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called Apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany, it was called ‘Judenboycott’,” the Hyderabad MP wrote on X.
Clearing further on the issue, Uttar Pradesh Police said shopkeepers selling all types of food times on the Kanwar Yatra route created confusion in the past which led to a law and order situation.
The police said the decision was taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
“During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet,” the Muzaffarnagar police stated, according to PTI.
“In the past, such instances have come to light where some shopkeepers selling all types of food items on Kanwar Marg named their shops in such a way that it created confusion among the Kanwariyas and created a law and order situation. To prevent such a recurrence and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees,” it added.