Following similar directives in other Uttar Pradesh districts, Haridwar police have ordered eateries, including roadside carts, along the route of the kanwar yatra to display names of owners to avoid “disputes which often arise” during the yatra.
“During the kanwar yatra, disputes often arise due to shops not mentioning the name of the proprietor. Many times, the yatris object to this. To address this, all shops, restaurants, hotels, dhabas and street vendors on the route will be verified by the Haridwar police. We are also pushing for the names of proprietors to be clearly displayed. The QR codes will also mention the same,” said Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal, The Indian Express reported.
Along with displaying the name of the proprietor, the police have also asked owners of eateries to not serve non-vegetarian food, garlic-onion infused food, alcohol, along with displaying QR code for UPI payments.
This comes after the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state, days after the Muzaffarnagar police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names.
The order issued by the Muzaffarnagar police on Monday has been slammed by opposition parties and some members of the ruling alliance, who say it targets Muslim traders.
Controversy Over Asking Eateries To Display Their Names Along Kanwar Yatra Route
-Union minister and BJP ally Chirag Paswan unequivocally opposed it and said he would "absolutely … never support or encourage" any divide in the name of caste or religion.
-Another BJP ally, the Janata Dal (United), also criticised the advisory. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said the Muzaffarnagar police should be withdrawn as it may cause communal tension and there should not be any discrimination based on religion or caste.
-The main opposition party Congress alleged that the directive was intended to normalise the economic boycott of Muslims. Its spokesperson Pawan Khera called the order "state-sponsored bigotry".
-AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi compared the Muzaffarnagar police advisory to the Apartheid and Judenboykott, the boycott of Jewish businesses in Hitler's Germany.
-The BJP, which is in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, however, defended the measure, claiming that it allows fasting Hindus who may want to eat at a pure vegetarian restaurant, where the likelihood of them being served 'satvik' food is higher.
-But senior BJP leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi expressed apprehension that it might spread the "disease of untouchability".
-Both Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati hit out at the Muzaffarnagar police advisory. While Yadav dubbed the move as a "social crime" and appealed to courts to take suo motu cognisance of the matter, Mayawati asked the state government to withdraw it.
(With PTI Inputs)
