After the Uttar Pradesh Police ordered eateries, along the route of the Kanwar Yatra to display their owners’ name, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday slammed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and challenged him to issue a written order if he has the “courage.”
Addressing a press conference, Owaisi said, “We condemn it because it is a violation of Article 17 of the Constitution, which talks about untouchability. So, the Uttar Pradesh government is promoting untouchability.
This kind of order that people should express their religion is a violation of Article 21 (Right to life) and also Article 19 (Right to livelihood). Secondly, ever since the Uttar Pradesh government has given the order, Muslim employees have been removed from all the Dhaba (shops) in Muzaffarnagar.
There are many big and famous restaurants on that highway, why are you not saying anything about them?”
“Seeing this order of the Uttar Pradesh government, it seems as if the spirit of Hitler has entered them. Will you give so much importance to a trip that you will ruin the livelihood of others.
Will you work for only one community? Where is the Constitution? I challenge Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order if he has the courage. Clear discrimination is happening against Muslims,” Owaisi added.
Bollywood screenwriter Javed Akhtar also reacted to the ongoing controversy and said that these things happen in Nazi’s Germany.
“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,” Javed Akhtar posted on X.
The UP Police said on Thursday that the police have urged all the eateries to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of “religious discrimination” but only to facilitate 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 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.
To prevent such a recurrence and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, Dhaba’s 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,” it added.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
