The Uttar Pradesh government has strongly defended its order in the Supreme Court requiring shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their nameplates prominently, saying that the directive was issued to ensure a peaceful and orderly pilgrimage.
According to an NDTV report, in a detailed submission to the Supreme Court, the government said that the directive was issued in response to complaints from Kanwariyas who reportedly expressed concerns about the food provided along the route.
There were worries about whether the food was being prepared according to religious practices, added the report.
Terming the order “discriminatory”, the Supreme Court on Monday had issued a stay on the order that required eatery owners along the Kanwar Yatra route to publicly display the names of their owners and staff.
The decision came during the hearing of a plea filed by an NGO, the Association of Protection of Civil Rights, challenging the orders of the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra had also approached the Supreme Court regarding this controversial issue.
The petition sought a stay on the orders, arguing that they could escalate communal tensions and were intended to impose a socially enforced economic boycott on Muslim-owned shops.
The Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel to fetch holy water from the Ganges River, sees millions of participants each year.
With inputs from agencies
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