NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday defended the move of
Muzaffarnagar police
directing eateries on the
Kanwar Yatra
route to "voluntarily display" names of their owners and employees and slammed the opposition's "misplaced outrage" over the issue. This even as one of BJP's key allies, the Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar, also opposed the police move and demanded that the order should be withdrawn.
The Muzaffarnagar Police advisory evoked strong reactions from various quarters with some opposition leaders even drawing parallels to the Hitler era, Nazi's Germany and South Africa's Apartheid.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed those objecting to the police order and said: "Display of
Halal certification
to ensure Muslims' religious feelings are not hurt = Peak Secularism. Request to ALL eateries to comply with law & make proper disclosures of name to ensure that Kanwariyas' Astha is not hurt by false information- Peak Bigotry."
"What hypocrisy," Poonawalla said, stressing that everyone should have the right to choose the food they like during a religious 'yatra'. "If Muslims can eat at a place which serves Halal food only, other devotees should also be allowed to choose to eat Satvik food during their religious yatra," he added.
BJP leader Amit Malviya also slammed the opposition. "If food is a choice, and restaurants, including some MNCs, delivery apps, catering to Muslim sensibilities, prominently display Halal compliance certificates, then why should it be any different for fasting Hindus (Kanwar Yatris in this case), who may want to eat at a pure veg restaurant, where the likelihood of them being served Satvik food is higher? Is giving Hindus equal right to choice a sin?" he said in a post on X.
Malviya claimed India’s "secularism" can’t be so fragile that a uniform order asking all eateries to display name and contact number of the owner/workers should disrupt it.
"Also ask what necessitated this order? Particularly to those secularists, who have assumed that this order is discriminatory and against Muslims. Because they know that several Muslims acquire overtly Hindu names for their businesses, from coaching institutes to food joints, and indulge in not just violating religious sensibilities but also conversions and worse. We have already seen so many disgusting videos of vendors/workers spitting, urinating and more… " he added.
BJP ally JD(U) objects to police move
And while the BJP strongly defended the move of Muzaffarnagar Police, its ally at the Centre and in Bihar raised strong objections to the order. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said "Kanwar Yatra has been crossing through the areas of western Uttar Pradesh for ages and communal tension has not been reported. Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs as well welcome the pilgrims by setting up stalls. Muslim artisans are also involved in making the Kanwars... Such orders can increase communal tension."
Tyagi said the district administration should review its decision and take it back.
"Police should investigate that no anti-social elements should be running any shops, but there should not be any discrimination on the basis of religion or caste. It increases the divide in the society. Such directives can increase communal tension. It should not be implemented," the JD(U) leader said.
'Assault on India's culture'
The Congress slammed the Muzaffarnagar Police order as an assault on India's culture and said those who wanted to decide who eats what, will now decide who buys what from whom. Hitting out at the BJP-RSS, the Congress also said the intention of such an order was to normalise economic boycott of Muslims.
Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the intention behind this is to find out who is a Hindu and who is a Muslim and to normalize the economic boycott of Muslims. "Whether it is about economic boycott of a Hindu or economic boycott of a Muslim, we will not let it succeed," he added.
Khera said the owners of many meat exporting companies are Hindus."The way a Hindu exports meat, it remains meat, it does not become daal chawal. Similarly, if Altaf or Rashid is selling mango-guava, then mango-guava will not become meat," he added.
Attacking the BJP-RSS, the Congress leader said they are attacking the Indian culture and trying to enter people's homes.
'It is a social crime'
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the Muzaffarnagar police order is a "social crime" and asked the courts to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
The former UP chief minister wrote on X, "... And what if the name of the owner is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? What can you find out from these names? 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," he added.
'UP govt promoting untouchability'
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government and challenged UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order in this regard.
The Hyderabad MP called it a clear-cut "discriminatory" order and alleged that it shows that the government wants to make Muslims "second-grade" citizens in Uttar Pradesh and the entire country.
"We condemn this (verbal order). This is a violation of Article 17 of the Constitution, which talks about untouchability. The Uttar Pradesh government is promoting untouchability. Ever since the order was given, the owners of 'dhabas' in Muzaffarnagar have removed muslim employees. It is clear discrimination of Muslims. Spirit of the Constitution is being hurt. It is against the right to life and right to livelihood," Owaisi said.
'Decision to facilitate devotees'
The Muzaffarnagar Police have clarified that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of "religious discrimination" but only to facilitate the devotees.
"During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet," the Muzaffarnagar police stated.
"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 and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees. The intention of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination but only 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, too," it added.
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