New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government's recent directive, which requires the installation of nameplates on hotels, dhabas, and carts along the Kanwar Yatra route, has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), an NGO, has filed a petition against this order. The Supreme Court has accepted the petition and scheduled a hearing for Monday, July 22.
The petition was filed online at 6:00 am on Saturday, July 20, and the matter was promptly listed for hearing on the same day. The case will be heard by a bench consisting of Justice Rishikesh Roy and Justice SVN Bhatti.
Initially, the directive was issued by the Muzaffarnagar Police for shops, eateries, and carts along the Kanwar Yatra routes in that district. Due to protests, the directive was later expanded to cover the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. In preparation for the Kanwar Yatra, which begins on July 22, shopkeepers in the Kashi Vishwanath temple complex in Varanasi have also been instructed to install nameplates.
Similar rules have been implemented in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. In Bodh Gaya, Bihar, shopkeepers have voluntarily installed nameplates, with many stating they have been doing so for the past 20 years.
Opposition parties have criticized the Uttar Pradesh government's directive, accusing it of being communal and divisive. They argue that the BJP-led government is engaging in discriminatory politics. The BJP, however, defends the order, asserting that Hindus have the right to preserve the sanctity of their religious practices just as individuals of other faiths do.
Prominent figures opposing the directive include Samajwadi Party members and AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi. The Muslim organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has labeled the directive as 'discriminatory and communal.' In contrast, BJP leaders are advocating for the implementation of similar measures in other states, including Bihar. Indore BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola has even written to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, urging the directive's adoption statewide.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani has criticized the directive, claiming it violates fundamental constitutional rights. He emphasized that the Constitution guarantees all citizens the freedom to make personal choices, including what they wear and eat, without external interference.
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