Kanwariya yatra: Yogi enforces ID display for shops

Lucknow: On Friday, the Uttar Pradesh State Government announced several measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra which will start on July 22. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mandated that food and beverage shops along Kanwar routes display the name and identity of the operator/owner to maintain the sanctity of the pilgrims’ faith. Additionally, action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products.

Earlier, the Muzaffarnagar Police had urged all eateries along the Kanwar route to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of “religious discrimination” but only to facilitate the devotees.

DIG Saharanpur Ajay Kumar Sahni said, “Instances have come to light earlier that Kanwarias had arguments over rate list for food at hotels and dhabas. Besides this, there have been instances where non-veg is available at some hotel/dhaba or a person of some other community has opened a hotel/dhaba under some other name and this has led to issues. In the wake of that, it was decided that the name of the proprietor/owner of shops/hotels/dhabas would be written clearly on the boards, rate lists would be written clearly and names of workers would also be written clearly so that no issues of any kind arise...Talks had been held with everyone, and all hotels/dhabas have agreed to it...This has been decided for our Kanwar route.”

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party ally Chirag Paswan has unequivocally opposed the Muzaffarnagar police advisory asking the owners of eateries to display their names, saying he will “absolutely” never support or encourage” any divide in the name of caste or religion. Asked if he supports the advisory, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president said in an interaction with PTI editors, “No, I don’t.”

“We need to bridge the gap between these two classes of people. It is every government’s responsibility to work for the poor, which includes all sections of society such as Dalits, backwards, upper castes and Muslims as well. All are there. We need to work for them,” Paswan said.