• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Thu, 18 Jul 2024 03:28 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Kanwar Yatra Row: Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday dove into the controversy surrounding the directive by police in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners and staff members. Slamming the controversial order, the former UP chief minister called the move a "social crime".

"The honourable court should take suo motu cognizance and investigate the intention of the government behind such administration and take appropriate punitive action. Such orders are social crimes, which want to spoil the peaceful environment of harmony," he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Voicing sentiments prevalent among detractors of UP's ruling BJP, Yadav insinuated the directive was aimed at targeting the Muslim community. "…and what will be known from the name of the one whose name is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte?" the post (originally in Hindi) read.

Kanwar Yatra Controversy: Javed Akhtar's Nazism Analogy

Bollywood screenwriter Javed Akhtar, a fierce critic of the BJP, implied that the directive in question was reminiscent of the period when Jews faced persecution in Nazi Germany.

In a post on X, Akhtar said, "Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops restaurants n even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly . Why ? . In Nazi Germany they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses."

Kanwar Yatra Name Display: Police Clarification

The contentious order was issued by Muzaffarnagar police on Wednesday. After the order kicked off a massive row, the police asserted they had only urged eateries to "voluntarily" display the names of their owners and employees, saying the intention was to facilitate the devotees participating in the Hindu pilgrimage.

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"During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring 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 police stated.

"In the past, such instances have come to light where some shopkeepers selling all types of food items on Kanwar Marg named their shops in such a way that it created confusion among the Kanwariyas and created a law and order situation," the police said further.

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The statement added, "To prevent such a recurrence and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees. The intention of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination but only to facilitate the devotees passing through Muzaffarnagar district, counter allegations and save the law and order situation. This system has been prevalent in the past, too."

(With inputs from ANI)

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