“Should Not Be Viewed Through Religious Lens”: Union Minister Manjhi Defends UP Govt Over Kanwar Yatra Nameplate Row

Supporting the Uttar Pradesh government over its directive for food shops to display their owners’ names along the Kanwar Yatra route, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said on Sunday that there is nothing wrong in the order and it should not be viewed through a religious lens.

“There is nothing wrong in it. It should not be viewed through a religious lens,” Manjhi said.

Earlier today, opposing Uttar Pradesh’s government’s directive for food shops to display their owners’ names along the Kanwar Yatra route, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) and Rashtriya Lok Dal Chief Jayant Chaudhary said that it doesn’t appear to be a well-thought-out and well-reasoned decision.

Jayant told ANI, “It doesn’t appear to be a well thought out and well-reasoned decision. Any decision shouldn’t cause harm to the sense of well-being of the community and harmony in the community. All those who go on Kanwar yatra and people who serve them, all are same. This tradition has been there from starting and no one saw who was serving them. This thing of identifying people and pointing out them, I couldn’t get that.”

Amid the row in Uttar Pradesh, the Haridwar Police Administration also issued an order for restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route.

Earlier, another ally of the NDA, JDU, asked the Uttar Pradesh government to review the Muzaffarnagar order or to take the order back.

“A Kanwar Yatra bigger than this (in UP) takes place in Bihar. No such order is in effect there. These prohibitions that have been imposed are in violation of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ that the PM speaks of. The order is not in effect in Bihar nor in Rajasthan and Jharkhand. It would be good if it is reviewed. This order should be taken back,” JDU leader KC Tyagi told ANI.

He also slammed the INDIA bloc and said that they have no right to comment on the law and order of the state.

“The leaders of the INDIA bloc have no right to comment on the state of law and order. Proper action is being taken on the incidents. The law and order situation in Bihar is good,” he said.