Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Yoga Guru Ramdev has questioned why some individuals are upset over the Uttar Pradesh government’s directive for food shops along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names. Ramdev’s remarks come as opposition parties criticize the move as discriminatory.
“If Ramdev has no problem in revealing his identity, then why should Rahman have a problem in revealing his identity? Everyone should be proud of their name. There is no need to hide the name; only purity is required in work. If our work is pure, it does not matter if we are Hindu, Muslim, or from any other community,” Ramdev stated.
The controversy started when the Yogi Adityanath-led government issued an order mandating food establishments along the pilgrimage route to display their owners’ names. The directive, intended to promote transparency and accountability, has been perceived by many as targeting Muslim-owned businesses.
Opposition parties have condemned the directive, citing it as discriminatory. The Samajwadi Party raised the issue in an all-party meeting, describing the move as “completely wrong.”
Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), claimed the directive exemplifies deep-seated prejudice against Indian Muslims. “Fear on UP’s Kanwar routes: This is the reality of hatred for Indian Muslims. Credit for this visceral hatred goes to political parties, leaders of Hindutva, and so-called lip-servicing secular parties,” he stated.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also criticized the order, suggesting it promotes divisive agendas. “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!” Sibal wrote on social media.
Despite the backlash, supporters of the ruling party have defended the directive. The Muzaffarnagar Police clarified that the intention was to facilitate transparency and not to create religious discrimination. Eateries have been requested to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, they said.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh emphasized that state government rules must be obeyed, while BJP MP Kangana Ranaut suggested replacing the term “Halal” with “HUMANITY” in response to actor Sonu Sood’s call for “humanity” to be the only nameplate.
West Bengal BJP Chief Sukanta Majumdar noted that similar notifications were issued during the governments of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav. “Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies. A similar kind of notification was issued during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s government, and Akhilesh Yadav’s government also issued such notifications… It’s a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra,” Majumdar told ANI.
Haridwar District Magistrate Dhiraj Singh Garbyal claimed that the move is intended to ensure “the convenience of the public and allow people to know the details of the food outlet’s owner.”
