Muzaffarnagar/UP: Controversial Hindutva saint Swami Yashveer Maharaj was behind the controversial circular in Uttar Pradesh, which demanded eatery owners along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names in front of their businesses.
The head of Yoga Sadhana Yashveer Ashram Baghra of Muzaffarnagar accused Muslims of spitting on food and claimed that it is because of his effort the Yogi Adityanath government issued such an advisory, which is now under a stay by the Supreme Court.
It was Yashvir Maharaj who first raised the question about the names of Muslim hotels and dhabas on the Kanwar route. The practice of installing nameplates in eateries started in the Muzaffarnagar district and was later made statewide.
The far-right Hindu sage said that many eateries from Haridwar to Kanwar Marg are operating in the name of Hindu gods as well as other great people of the faith but are run by Muslims.
He claimed that there was news that Muslims spit on food and mix meat with it. This is why he has raised a voice demanding that no Muslim should open a shop with confusing names under Hindu gods' names, he said.
Muslims could run their shops, but they must not hide their name to deceive the followers of Sanatana Dharma, which is already happening in Hindu majority areas, Swami Yashveer said.
Further, he said that the Supreme Court's decision to stay in the order was disappointing. Then he challenged opposition leaders, saying, "If they can prove themselves to be secular leaders by eating food in which someone has spit, then I will definitely withdraw my movement."
Yashveer is running a 'Ghar Vaapasi' movement to bring people who have left Hinduism and become Muslims back to Hinduism. He claims to have brought back more than 1,500 people so far.