SC stays UP Kanwar Yatra order asking shops to display owners' names

On Friday, Yogi government extended the directive across Uttar Pradesh, sparking a political uproar. It is important to note, however, that no formal order has been issued by the government thus far

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the controversial directive issued to shops placed along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh, asking them to display the names of their owners.

“Until the returnable date, having regard to the ... discussion, we deem it appropriate to pass an interim order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives,” said a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti, noting that the traders may be required to display the kind of food that would served but not the owners’ names.

Besides UP, the court has issued the notice to Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and all the states where the yatra crosses. The order followed as the court was hearing a batch of petitions on the issue, moved by activists and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.

 

The TMC leader argued that requiring disclosure of the names under the ground of respecting pilgrims’ dietary choices, “makes it clear that dietary choices is a pretext, or a proxy, for the compelled disclosure of personal – and, in this case, religious – identity.” The matter will be next heard on July 26.

What is the controversy over the UP Kanwar Yatra order?

The directive was extended to the entire UP on Friday by the Yogi Adityanath government, triggering a political row over the issue. To be clear, the UP government has not issued a formal order on this matter.

The Opposition alleged that the order had discriminatory intentions towards Muslim shopkeepers. Moitra, in her plea against the UP and Uttarakhand governments, said that such orders aggravate discord between communities.

The UP government’s extensions followed days after the Muzaffarnagar police first issued the directive asking all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ name.

In Hinduism, Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage that commences with the start of the Sawan month in the Hindu calendar. This year, Sawan started on July 22. Considered a very pious tour, during the yatra millions of devotees of the Hindu God Shiva carry holy water from the Ganges in Haridwar to their homes.