Kanwar yatra: Supreme Court issues interim stay on display of eateries' owner names

Supreme Court/ File pic

The Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay on orders from the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments mandating eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to publish their owners' identities.

Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti sent notifications to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, requesting responses to the objections to these orders. The court ruled that while food vendors may be required to show information about the types of food they serve, they should not be required to disclose the identities of the owners or employees, reported PTI.

"We deem it appropriate to pass an interim order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives. In other words, food sellers may be required to display kind of food, but must not be forced to display names of owners, staff employed," the bench said as it posted the next hearing to Friday per PTI report.

According to the report, the Supreme Court's judgement was made in response to petitions from the NGO Association for the Protection of Civil Rights and TMC MP Mahua Moitra, among others. Moitra's argument contended that such directions could exacerbate communal tensions.

"Since June 2023, Respondent No. 1 (State of UP) continued to empower and embolden the anti-social elements by actively targeting Muslim-owned businesses based on fabricated and malicious information circulated by the anti-social elements. Respondent No. 1, through acts of commission and omission, created conditions for the complete economic boycott of Muslim minorities on the pretext of their 'impure' dietary choices," Moitra's petition stated.

The Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments had mandated that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route show owner names. Furthermore, the BJP-led Ujjain Municipal Corporation directed store owners in Ujjain to post their names and contact information outside their establishments. According to Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal, violators of this ordinance will face fines of Rs 2,000 for the first offence and Rs 5,000 for future violations, the report added.

Tatwal stated that the directive is intended to promote safety and transparency, not to target a certain group. Ujjain, noted for its Mahakal temple, attracts a large number of devotees throughout the Savan month, which began on Monday.

The Kanwar Yatra, which began in the Savan month, involves hundreds of Shiva devotees transporting holy water from the Ganges in Haridwar to their homes and presenting it at Shiva temples along the road.

With agency inputs