UP police directive to single out Muslim shoppers on Kanwar Yatra route is ‘apartheid’: Owaisi

Ahead of the annual Kanwar Yatra, the police in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar have urged hotels, dhabas, and shops along the route to display the names of their owners to identify the faith of the owners. This action follows a warning from a right-wing group cleric who threatened to protest if the authorities failed to address those who use the names of Hindu deities to deceive the pilgrims.

Hotels, restaurants, and hawkers doing business on the Kanwar Yatra route between Delhi and Haridwar, particularly in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, have started to put up signboards to identify themselves after receiving instructions from the authorities, as seen in one of the videos posted on X.

The police claimed that the measures were put in place to stave off any unwarranted law and order situations during the religious process pertaining to the Kanwar Yatra, drawing condemnation from the opposition and other parties who called the measures discriminatory and divisive.

Swami Yashveer Maharaj alleged that hawkers and hotel owners belonging to the Muslim community were hiding their identities and using the names of Hindu deities to deceive the pilgrims.

According to reports, Swami Yashveer Maharaj demanded that the police administration require all food shops set up on the roadside during the yatra to display signboards identifying their owners.

He alleged that some individuals from the Muslim community operated shops during the Kanwar fair using boards with the names of Hindu deities, which could potentially hurt the sentiments of Shiva devotee Kanwariyas. He urged the police to ensure the identity of these individuals is made public and to run a campaign to address this issue.

Reports suggest that in the city, posters with names have been pasted on the carts of people selling fruits near Meenakshi Chowk. With Muharram and the Kanwar Yatra coinciding, police have taken extra precautions by installing barbed wires at Shiv Chowk.

Pawan Khera, a prominent Congress leader, denounced the directives as state-sponsored bigotry, urging a unified stance against what he perceives as regressive policies. Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, likened the directives to historical instances of discrimination, drawing parallels to apartheid in South Africa and the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany.

The controversy deepened further when BJP MLA Kapil Dev Aggarwal stirred controversy by suggesting that shops owned by Muslims refrain from using Hindu deities' names during the yatra. This statement fueled accusations of religious bias, intensifying the debate over the treatment of religious minorities during public events.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has imposed a ban on the open sale and purchase of meat along yatra routes as a gesture of respect towards the devotees. The state government has faced scrutiny over environmental concerns related to the yatra, particularly regarding the reported felling of over 33,000 trees to construct a new road facilitating pilgrim movement. The National Green Tribunal has intervened, seeking satellite images to assess the extent of deforestation and curb illegal logging in forested areas.

Amidst these developments, the Uttar Pradesh government has also undertaken logistical arrangements for the yatra, including setting up helpdesks and ensuring the distribution of chilled water and refreshments for pilgrims.