Lagatar24 Desk
Muzaffarnagar: Uttar Pradesh police’s recent directive requiring eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route in Muzaffarnagar to display their owners’ names has sparked a significant controversy. The opposition has criticized the move, drawing comparisons to apartheid in South Africa and policies in Nazi Germany. The annual Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage by Lord Shiva devotees is set to begin on July 22.
The Muzaffarnagar Police have instructed all food establishments along the route to clearly display the names of their proprietors to prevent confusion during the religious procession. “Preparations have begun for the Kanwar Yatra. In the area under our jurisdiction, which is around 240 km, all eateries, hotels, dhabas, and thelas (roadside carts) have been instructed to display the names of their proprietors or those running the shop. This is being done to ensure that there’s no confusion among the kanwariyas and no allegations are raised in the future, leading to a law and order situation. Everyone is following this of their own free will,” stated Abhishek Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar, during a press conference.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has claimed that the directive aims to ensure that no ‘Kanwariya’ inadvertently purchases anything from a Muslim-owned shop. “As per the order of the Uttar Pradesh Police, now every food shop or cart owner must put his name on the board so that no Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called Apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany, it was called ‘Judenboycott’,” Owaisi stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Apartheid, deemed a crime against humanity and prosecutable under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, is characterized as a “legally sanctioned system of racial segregation,” systematically depriving one racial group of political and civil rights. ‘Judenboycott’ refers to the Nazi-initiated boycott of Jewish businesses starting in April 1933.
Bollywood lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar also questioned the police’s instructions. “Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops, restaurants, and even vehicles should show the owner’s name prominently and clearly. Why? In Nazi Germany, they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses,” Akhtar posted on X.
Amid the heated debate on social media, the Uttar Pradesh police issued a statement clarifying that the directive was not intended to create any form of “religious discrimination” but to assist the devotees. “During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighboring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet,” the Muzaffarnagar police said in a statement.
As the controversy continues to unfold, authorities are maintaining that the directive is meant to facilitate the Kanwar Yatra and ensure the safety and preferences of the devotees.
