The Uttar Pradesh government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing petitions challenging its interim stay on the direction to eateries in the state falling on the 'Kanwar Yatra'/route to display names of the owners. The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government said the directive was to ensure a peaceful completion of the 'Kanwar Yatra' and to ensure larger transparency.
The Supreme Court, replying to Uttar Pradesh's affidavit, said the interim order staying directives of UP, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh governments asking eateries on 'Kanwar Yatra' routes to display names will continue. "We've said what was needed to be said in our July 22 order. Can't force anyone to disclose names," said the top court on Friday on staying directive for eateries.
The idea behind the directive is transparency and informed choice of the consumer or 'Kanwariya' 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," news agency ANI had quoted the UP government as saying in the affidavit challenging the Supreme Court's interim stay.
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The Supreme Court on July 22 mposed an interim stay on controversial directives by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along Kanwar Yatra route must display names of owners. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti, however, said eateries may be required to display the kind of food they are serving - whether they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments' orders on displaying names of owners of eateries on Kanwar Yatra route is "exclusion by identity," and against the Constitution, Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the Supreme Court on Monday while appearing for Mahua Moitra over the plea challenging the controversial state government orders.
"We deem it appropriate to pass interim order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives. In other words, food sellers may be required to display kind of food, but must not be forced to display names of owners, staff employed," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.
The Uttar Pradesh government said that the state has imposed no ban or prohibition on the trade or business of the food sellers - except the restriction on selling non-veg food - and they are free to conduct their business as usual.
“The requirement to display the names and identities of the owners is merely an additional measure to ensure transparency and avoid any potential confusion among the Kanwariyas,” the affidavit added.
