Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has approached the Supreme Court challenging directives issued by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments, which mandate that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route display the names of their owners.
In her plea before the apex court, Moitra seeks a stay on these orders, arguing that such directives exacerbate discord between communities. The plea is yet to be scheduled for hearing.
Moitra’s petition contends that requiring the disclosure of proprietors’ and staff members’ names under the guise of respecting pilgrims’ dietary preferences is merely a pretext for compelled disclosure of personal, particularly religious, identities. The plea further alleges that this directive aims to facilitate a socially-enforced economic boycott of Muslim shop owners and workers, thereby jeopardizing their livelihoods.
“Since June 2023, the Respondent No. 1 (State of UP) has empowered and emboldened anti-social elements by targeting Muslim-owned businesses based on fabricated and malicious information circulated by these elements. The Respondent No. 1, through acts of commission and omission, has created conditions for a complete economic boycott of Muslim minorities on the pretext of their ‘impure’ dietary choices,” the petition states.
The Top Court is scheduled to hear a plea on Monday against the Uttar Pradesh government’s controversial order. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S. V. N. Bhatti is expected to hear the plea filed by the NGO Association of Protection of Civil Rights.
Meanwhile, extensive arrangements have been made across several states for the Kanwar Yatra, which begins on Monday with the start of the Sawan month in the Hindu calendar. During this period, millions of Shiva devotees carry holy water from the Ganges in Haridwar to their homes, offering it at Shiva temples along their route.
Following an earlier order by the Muzaffarnagar police requiring all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names, the Uttar Pradesh government extended this controversial order statewide on Friday. Opposition parties and some members of the ruling NDA at the Centre have criticized the order, claiming it targets Muslim traders.
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have announced special arrangements to ensure a smooth yatra and have implemented extensive security measures. This special period for the worship of Lord Shiva, lasting from July 22 to August 19, includes five Mondays.
