The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the States of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand one week to respond to a petition challenging the government’s directive requiring food vendors along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR code stickers on their banners.
These QR codes are intended to provide pilgrims access to the owners’ details.
Hearing & Next Steps
A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh heard the matter and scheduled the next hearing for Tuesday. While the counsel for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Deputy Advocate General Jatinder Kumar Sethi, requested two weeks to file their replies, Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat, representing the petitioners, emphasized the urgency, stating the Kanwar Yatra would conclude within 10-12 days.
The court agreed to hear the matter next week. Senior Advocates Chander Uday Singh and Huzefa Ahmadi appeared for other petitioners.
Petitioners Seek Stay On QR Code Directive
The petitioners have sought a stay on all government orders mandating public disclosure of ownership or employee identities of food vendors operating along the Kanwar Yatra routes in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They argue that these new directives violate a Supreme Court interim order from last year, which prohibited forcing sellers to disclose their identities publicly.
Allegations Of Religious Profiling & Discrimination
Petitioners, including Professor Apoorvanand and activist Aakar Patel, contend that the government’s new rules are a way to bypass the earlier Court order. By requiring eateries to display QR codes that reveal owner details, the petitioners allege the authorities are enabling religious profiling of vendors.
They further assert that these directives lack any legal basis and are designed to foment religious polarization and discrimination along the pilgrim routes.
License Display vs. Public Disclosure
While food vendors are legally required to hold licenses and display them inside their premises, the petition challenges the government’s order to display owners’ names and identities on outdoor billboards. The petition claims this is an overreach.
The petitioners warn that such disclosures could expose vendors, particularly those from minority communities, to the risk of mob violence and harassment.
Privacy Concerns & Legal Arguments
The petition describes the mandate as a breach of privacy rights, stating, “A directive to reveal religious, caste identities couched under the garb of ‘lawful license requirements’ is a breach of privacy rights.”
It clarifies that while licenses containing owner information are to be displayed inside the business, forcing vendors to exhibit the names of owners, managers, and employees on external boards, or restricting eatery names that do not reflect religious identities, goes beyond legal requirements.
(Inputs By Sambhav Sharma)
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