Differences surfaced within the ruling National Democratic Alliance on the Uttar Pradesh government’s order asking those running eateries, tea stalls, and fruit carts to display nameplates during the Kanwar yatra. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s allies, the Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are advising the U.P. government to reconsider the decision as it is unconstitutional and divisive.
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The decision is “communally divisive and unconstitutional”, said Ramashish Rai, state president of the RLD, the BJP’s only ally in western U.P. “The U.P. administration should take back the decision asking street vendors to display their names on their stalls,” he posted on X.
The RLD has nine MLAs in U.P., of which two are Muslims. The RLD’s Bijnor MP Chandan Chauhan said that “communities are interdependent in society”, noting that party patriarch Chaudhary Charan Singh had been against communal divisions. RLD general secretary Trilok Tyagi said that if the government was so keen on the sanctity of the yatra, it should also close liquor shops during the yatra.
Against communal divides
Disagreeing with the State government, JD (U) general secretary K.C. Tyagi said that though a bigger Kanwar yatra takes place in Bihar and Jharkhand, no such order was in effect there. “It is against PM Modi’s description of Indian society and his credo of ‘sabka saath sabka vichar’. It will be good if the U.P. government reconsiders it,” he said. The veteran socialist leader hails from western U.P. Earlier, he had said that Muslims have always come forward to help those undertaking the Kanwar yatra.
Union Minister and LJP president Chirag Paswan also opposed the U.P. police advisory. Speaking to a news agency, he said that he would “never support or encourage” any divide in the name of caste or religion.
Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who had described the Muzaffarnagar police order as promoting the scourge of untouchability a day ago, changed his point of view after the U.P. government order. “As the earlier was limited in scope, it created confusion. I don’t see any problem in the order for it shows respect to the sentiments of the faithful. It should not be given communal colour,” he said.
‘Poisoning minds’
In Muzaffarnagar, shop and stall owners have started putting their names and phone numbers on banners. Mohd Phulbahar, who runs Enjoy Cafe, told reporters he was asked by officials to put the name of the owner in Hindi on the banner. He warned that it would lead to a communal divide, poison people’s minds, and impact business. “Bhaichara prabhavit hoga. People tend to take official orders seriously. They will feel there must be something wrong with us that is why the government has asked us to display our identity.”
Lokesh Bharti, proprietor of the Sakshi Tourist Dhaba on Khatauli bypass, said he was asked by officials to put his name and phone number on the banner and to remove Muslim employees from jobs after the order. “I have removed four Muslim employees for the period. I feel sad for them as they will be jobless for 15 to 20 days,” he said.
Mohd Khaleel, who runs a grocery store, said for the last four years, kanwariyas had stopped at his shop to refresh. “We sell packaged products so there is no question of spoiling the sanctity. Now we have to think twice before even offering a chair,” he said.
The Kanwar yatra starts on Monday and will culminate on August 2.
