Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and other opposition MPs on July 22 welcomed the Supreme Court's decision imposing interim stay on directives passed by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that stipulated eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display names of owners.
Ms. Moitra, one of the petitioners in the case, called the two governments' decision unconstitutional, and called the court order a victory for all Indians.
"We have just got a stay on the completely illegal and unconstitutional Kanwar Yatra order which UP had started... Muzaffarnagar Police, and then extended it to the whole of U.P. and parts of Uttarakhand," Ms. Moitra told PTI.
"It was requiring all shops and establishments along the Kanwar Yatra route to say the names of the owners and staff of the establishment. This was leading to religious discrimination," she said.
"We had filed against it. The Supreme Court had just stayed it completely, and there is no requirement for any eatery to have to display the names of their owners... It is a great victory for the Constitution, and for all people of India," Ms. Moitra added.
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the directive for eateries, as well as decision to allow government servants to participate in RSS activities, indicate the BJP's desperation.
He said the politics of communalism is in its last throes that is why such decisions are being taken.
"They will take more such steps. They are doing this to keep communal politics alive as it is nearing its end," he said.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the directive given by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments was similar to the Nazi regime ordering Jews to display the Star of David.
"It is good, we should not be doing that. Today it is the names, tomorrow they will say put your caste. It will only lead to further and further discrimination," he said.
"It is exactly what Nazis did, by asking the Jews to put up Star of David so that they could be othered and social boycott could happen," he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, "I welcome the Supreme Court decision from the depth of my heart. They have protected the Constitution."
He said the directive was aimed at deepening the communal divide.
"They want to spread hatred, want to cause riots. Any amount of criticism is not enough for this policy of the BJP," he said.
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandrashekhar said people want to talk about their issues of livelihood, and will not accept the "experiment" happening in the name of the 'Kanwar Yatra', which has been happening for ages.
"Kanwar yatra has been happening since ages. It happened even when BJP was not in power. People will not accept the experiment being done in the name of the Yatra," Mr. Chandrashekhar said.
"People of the country do not want discrimination, but those in power do not understand that. They have faced the consequences in the Lok Sabha polls... People want to talk about their issues of 'roti, kapda, makan' (food, clothing and housing), education, health, unemployment, price rise," he said.
"This is independent India, what kind of Amrit Kaal is this? People are not getting employment, farmers are not getting MSP, there are so many railway accidents...Government will have to answer... If they can't make people's life better, they should not be in power," he said.
The Supreme Court on Monday imposed an interim stay on directives passed by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display names of owners.
A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S.V.N. Bhatti issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh governments while seeking their replies on the pleas challenging the directive.
Published - July 22, 2024 04:51 pm IST
