Absolute mischief: Congress on eatery order now covering most Kanwar Yatra routes in UP, U'khand

The Congress on Friday termed as "mischief" and "bigotry" the order in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, with party general-secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying the move was "an attack on the Constitution".

Priyanka demanded that the order be withdrawn and strict action be taken against the officials, who issued the order in the first place. Congress media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera said such orders were "absolute mischief" and "nothing short of bigotry".

Days after Muzaffarnagar Police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, the Uttar Pradesh government is extending the controversial order across the state and Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said similar instructions are already in place in his state.

The order issued by Muzaffarnagar Police earlier this week has been heavily criticised by Opposition parties and some members of the BJP-led ruling alliance, who say it targets Muslim traders.

In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka said, "Our Constitution guarantees every citizen that he will not be discriminated against on the basis of caste, religion, language or any other basis. The divisive order to put up name boards of the owners of carts, kiosks and shops in Uttar Pradesh is an attack on our Constitution, our democracy and our shared heritage."

The Congress general-secretary added, "Creating division in the society on the basis of caste and religion is a crime against the Constitution. This order should be withdrawn immediately and strict action should be taken against the officials who issued it."

Khera said the UPA government had proposed some regulations in the context of food safety, and to try and invoke those norms now to justify what the UP and Uttarakhand governments were doing on the Kanwar Yatra route was "absolute mischief" and "nothing short of bigotry".

As per the norms, anybody engaged in the food business has to have a licence and present it on being asked by a government agency, he said. "As I said, it is for maintaining the standards of safety of food that we buy and consume. But only on the Kanwar Yatra route if you are asking people to display their names, including fruit sellers, that definitely has nothing to do with food security, that is to do with bigotry and the agenda of dividing the society," Khera said. "Let it not get confused with the food safety norms brought by the UPA," he added.

An Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson said Friday that a formal order for all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route in the state was likely to be issued soon.

In Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun, CM Dhami said the decision was taken on 12 July at a meeting to review preparations for the Kanwar Yatra. As in Muzaffarnagar, hotels, dhabas and roadside eateries along the yatra route in Uttarakhand have been asked to display their owners' names, addresses and mobile phone numbers.

The Uttarakhand decision will mostly cover Haridwar but some kanwariyas also visit Rishikesh, Neelkanth and Gangotri as part of the yatra, which begins on 22 July.

Senior Uttarakhand Congress leader Harish Rawat said the decision taken by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments was unfortunate and painful. "It will foment animosity between communities and bring disrepute to the country," he said.

In Uttar Pradesh, Muzaffarnagar Police said earlier this week that its advisory to the eateries to display their owners' names was aimed at avoiding any "confusion".

"This has been done to ensure that there is no confusion among kanwariyas and no law-and-order situation arises. All are following this voluntarily," district police chief Abhishek Singh told reporters then.

Meanwhile, prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has condemned the order, saying just as the Dalit community has been subjected to untouchability, there is a deliberate attempt to treat Muslims in a similar manner.

Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani said though this decision is being implemented in a specific area, its ramifications will be far-reaching. "It will empower forces that seek the economic boycott of Muslims and provide opportunities for anti-national elements to exploit the situation," he said, describing the decision as "unjust, discriminatory and a clear manifestation of prejudice".

"Just as the Dalit community has been subjected to untouchability and presented as impure for centuries, now there is a deliberate attempt to treat Muslims similarly and relegate them to second-class citizens," Madani said in a statement.

"This action tarnishes the cultural identity, fabric and grandeur of our nation, which is rooted in the teachings of Buddha, Chishti, Nanak and Gandhi. Such divisive measures will never be acceptable," he said.

Madani pointed out that the areas through which the Kanwar Yatra pass have a significant Muslim population. "Muslims have always respected the beliefs and practices of the Kanwariyas and have never caused them any harm. However, such an order will severely damage communal harmony and create divisions and misunderstandings among the people," he said.

Madani demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government immediately withdraw this "deplorable decision" and focus on fostering unity and harmony among all communities.