What is the Muzaffarnagar police order on eateries that is facing backlash?

The Muzaffarnagar police recently issued an order asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners. This decision has sparked significant controversy and debate among political leaders, and community members.

While announcing the order, Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Singh said, “About 240 km of Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route, have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops.”

He said the decision has been taken to ensure there is no confusion among kanwariyas and no law and order situation arises.

The police even cited past incidents where shop names led to misunderstandings and potential law and order issues. Initially, the directive mandated that all food vendors, including hotels and roadside eateries, display the names of their owners or staff members during the yatra period.

Muzaffarnagar police issues fresh order

However, the action sparked significant outrage, with former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav questioning the government’s motives and calling on the court to initiate suo motu cognizance.

In response to widespread public criticism from multiple political leaders, the police have updated their directive, turning the display of names into a voluntary action. The Muzaffarnagar police clarified that the aim was not to incite any religious divisions but to enhance clarity and safety for the pilgrims.

In a new advisory, the Muzaffarnagar Police said, “In the past, such instances have come to light where some shopkeepers selling all types of food items on Kanwar Marg named their shops in such a way that it created confusion among the Kanwariyas and created a law and order situation. To prevent such a recurrence, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees... This system has been prevalent in the past, too.”
 

The advisory added, “During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet.”

Political backlash

The order has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders. Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party, condemned the initial directive as a “social crime”, suggesting it could foster division and discrimination, particularly against Muslim vendors. He argued that the names displayed would not provide meaningful identification and called for judicial intervention to prevent such orders in the future.

The Samajwadi Party chief said, “... And what if the name of the owner is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? What can you find out from these names?”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Yadav said, “The honourable court should take suo motu cognizance of this matter and investigate the intentions of the government and take appropriate punitive action. Such an order is a social crime aimed at spoiling the peaceful atmosphere and harmony.”
 

Directive similar to Nazi Germany, says Javed Akhtar

Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar responded strongly to the directive given to Muzaffarnagar eateries regarding the Kanwar Yatra, comparing it to practices from Nazi Germany. He remarked that only the Nazis were known for marking specific shops and homes.

In a post on X, Akhtar said, “Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future, all the shops, restaurants and even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why? In Nazi Germany, they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses.”

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi asserted that the purpose of this action was to prevent any ‘Kanwariya’ from making purchases at shops owned by Muslims.

He said on X, “As per the order of the Uttar Pradesh Police, now every food shop or cart owner must put his name on the board so that no Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called Apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany, it was called ‘Judenboycott’.”

Former Chief Minister Mayawati also criticised the order, labelling it a harmful tradition that could disrupt communal harmony and urging the government to withdraw it in the public interest.