Mumbai: Bollywood screenwriter Javed Akhtar has reacted to the ongoing controversy over eateries located on the Kanwar Yatra route in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh being asked to display the names of their owners.
“The Muzaffarnagar UP police have given instructions that in the near future all shops, restaurants and even vehicles on the route of a particular religious procession must prominently and clearly display the owner’s name. Why? In Nazi Germany they used to mark only particular shops and houses,” Javed Akhtar posted on X.
Muzaffarnagar UP police has directed that in the near future all shops, restaurants and even vehicles on the route of a particular religious procession must prominently and clearly display the owner’s name. Why? In Nazi Germany they would only make a mark… — Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 18, 2024
Amid a controversy over eateries located on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar being asked to display the names of their owners, the Muzaffarnagar police on Thursday said that the police have urged all eateries to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, adding that the order is not aimed at creating any kind of “religious discrimination” but only for the convenience of devotees.
Muzaffarnagar police said, “During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states travel through western Uttar Pradesh to collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. Many people, especially Kanwariyas, avoid certain food items in their diet during the holy month of Shravan.”
He said that in the past also such cases have come to light, where some shopkeepers selling all kinds of food items on the Kanwar route have named their shops in such a way that confusion was created among the Kanwariyas and a law and order situation arose. To prevent recurrence of such incidents and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on the Kanwar route have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees. The purpose of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination, but to facilitate the devotees passing through Muzaffarnagar district, counter allegations and save the law and order situation. This system has been prevalent in the past as well.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police and compared the significant move to “apartheid” in South Africa and “Jewish boycott” in Hitler’s Germany.
#Watch On the UP Police in Muzaffarnagar asking eateries, including roadside carts, on the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “We condemn it as it is a violation of Article 17 of the Constitution, which talks about hurting religious sentiments.” pic.twitter.com/4b3FND3cXI— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2024
“As per the order of Uttar Pradesh police, now every food shop or cart owner will have to write their name on the board so that no Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop even by mistake. This was called apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany it was called ‘Judenboycott’.” Owaisi posted on X.
Owaisi shared a video of Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Abhishek Singh on Twitter, in which the SSP is saying, “Preparations have begun for the Kanwar Yatra. In the area under our jurisdiction, which is about 240 km, all the food shops, hotels, dhabas and carts have been instructed to display the names of their owners or shopkeepers. This is being done so that there is no confusion among the Kanwariyas and no allegations are made in the future, which may lead to a law and order situation. Everyone is following it on their own will.”
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday reviewed the preparations for the holy Kanwar Yatra starting from July 22 and gave necessary guidelines. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Water, Power, Urban Development and Energy as well as the Public Works Minister and Minister of State.
