Row Over Eateries on Kanwar Yatra Route Sparks Controversy

A dispute has arisen in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, regarding the display of eateries' owners' names during the Kanwar Yatra. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called the directive a 'social crime' and urged the court to investigate. Authorities claim the order's intent is to facilitate devotees.

A heated controversy has enveloped Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, centering on an order requiring eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names. Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has implored the court to take suo-motto cognizance of the issue, condemning the directive as a 'social crime'.

Yadav further called for a probe into the intentions behind the government and administration's mandate, questioning how names like Guddu, Munna, Chhotu, or Fateh would offer any clarity. Taking to social media platform X, he emphasized the need for judicial scrutiny and punitive action to protect communal harmony.

Muzaffarnagar Police have defended the order, stating it aims to assist Kanwariyas during the Shravan Kanwar Yatra and prevent dietary confusion. They assert that the directive is not meant to incite religious discrimination but to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi likened the measure to 'apartheid' and 'Judenboycott' for targeting Muslim vendors.