Kanwar Yatra order: After Owaisi's 'Judenboycott', Sibal calls it divisive

Allegations about 'communal politics' associated with this year's upcoming Kanwar Yatra are gaining steam. Following criticism from the Congress and the ruling BJP's own allies JDU, LJP, and RLD, two renowned lawyers have now joined in, denouncing the Yogi government's directive for all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh to display their owners' names. These lawyers have accused the BJP of indulging in divisive politics.

Former Union minister, lawyer, and Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday criticised the Yogi Adityanath government's order for all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, calling it a "divisive agenda."

In a post on X, Sibal remarked, "Kanwar Yatra Route: UP directs eateries, including roadside carts, to display the names of owners! Is this the route to a 'Viksit Bharat'? Divisive agendas will only divide the country!"

It is worth noting that days after the Muzaffarnagar Police mandated all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, the Uttar Pradesh government extended this controversial order across the state on Friday.

Additionally, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued similar instructions for his state.

Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, expressed his disapproval of the Yogi government's order and said, "Fear on UP's kanwar routes: This is the reality of hatred for Indian Muslims. Credit for this visceral hatred goes to political parties and leaders of Hindutva, as well as so-called lip-servicing secular parties."

Owaisi had earlier called the order a 'Judenboycott', in a reference to the boycott of Jewish businesses in Nazi Germany. In a strongly-worded post on X, he wrote, "As per the order of Uttar Pradesh Police, now every food shop or cart owner will have to put his name on the board so that no Kanwaryia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called 'Apartheid' in South Africa and in Hitler's Germany it was called 'Judenboycott'.