US expresses concern over police directives for eateries along Kanwar yatra route
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The US State Department has expressed concern over recent police directives in India that mandated eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners. The department highlighted its commitment to protecting universal religious freedom following the Indian Supreme Court's interim stay on the enforcement of these directives.
"We have seen those reports. We have also seen the reports that the Indian Supreme Court on July 22nd issued an interim stay on the implementation of those rules,” said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller.
“Speaking generally, we are always committed to promoting and protecting universal respect for the right of freedom of religion and belief for all anywhere in the world. And we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on the importance of equal treatment for members of all religions.”
The controversy began when the Muzaffarnagar Police in Uttar Pradesh issued a notice on July 17, requiring hotels, eateries, and shops along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners and employees.
This measure was purported to avoid confusion among the Kanwariyas, who follow a strict vegetarian diet, about the nature of the establishments they were patronizing. Similar directives were issued in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh).
Despite the Muzaffarnagar Police's assertion that no "religious discrimination" was intended, the directive sparked significant backlash. Critics argue that the order unfairly targets Muslim-owned businesses by compelling individuals to reveal their religious identities.
Prominent voices against the directive included the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) allies JD(U) and RLD, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and Opposition leaders such as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who described the orders as “social crimes” aimed at disrupting communal harmony.
Several public figures and organizations, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand, and former Amnesty International India head Aakar Patel, challenged the directive in the Supreme Court. They argued that it was discriminatory and infringed upon the rights of Muslim business owners.
On July 22, the Supreme Court of India issued an interim stay on the enforcement of the Muzaffarnagar Police's notice, effectively pausing the directive's implementation and underscoring the importance of equal treatment and non-discrimination in India's diverse society.