Opposition parties labeled the Kanwar Yatra guidelines as “anti-Muslim” and discriminatory, but the BJP claimed AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was “playing the role of Jinnah” by engaging in divisive politics.
Opposition parties referred to the contentious order, which required restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route to post the names of their owners, as discriminatory and “anti-Muslim” after it was adopted in Uttarakhand and expanded to the rest of Uttar Pradesh. According to AIMIM chairman Asaduddin Owaisi, there is “fear” on the Kanwar road in Uttar Pradesh and the minority population is the target of “visceral hatred.”
Despite strong opposition, the order—which was initially implemented in Muzaffarnagar—has now been expanded across the entire state. Meanwhile, the BJP claimed that Owaisi was engaging in divisive politics and “playing the role of Jinnah,” who is regarded as the founder of Pakistan, in doing so.
Owaisi referred to the decree as the “reality of hatred for Indian Muslims” in a post on X. “Hatred for Indian Muslims is a fact that causes fear on the Kanwar roads in Uttar Pradesh. He shared a photo of an egg-selling stand with its owner’s name prominently displayed on social media, writing, “Political parties, leaders of Hindutva, and so-called lip-servicing secular parties deserve credit for this visceral hatred.”
Fear on UP's kanwar routes:
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 20, 2024
This is The reality of hatred for Indian Muslims ,credit for this visceral hatred goes to political parties /leaders of Hindutva and so called lip servicing Secular parties.
https://t.co/JzYfLp1l2N
In response to Owaisi’s claim, Sukanta Majumdar, the leader of the BJP’s West Bengal unit, said that the opposition was attempting to confuse and split the populace. He said that a similar order had previously been issued by the government led by the Samajwadi Party.
He compared Owaisi to Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in a statement to the news agency ANI, adding, “The Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies.” During the administrations of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, similar notices were also released. It is not a Kanwar Yatra-specific workout, but rather a regular one. The law mandates name registration, disqualifying anyone from being identified by their faith. Hindus who consume meat shop at Muslim establishments. We visit a lot of these Muslim-owned stores when we are in West Bengal. Asaduddin Owaisi is portraying Jinnah while the opposition tries to split the populace.
When the directives were first announced in Muzaffarnagar, Owaisi referred to it as “apartheid” and compared it to the “judenboycott”—a boycott of Jewish-owned businesses—that took place in Hitler’s Germany. Similar to what had occurred in Nazi Germany, Bollywood lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar had also advocated for the order.
The BJP has defended the action, claiming that it allows Hindus who are fasting the option to dine at a pure-vegetarian restaurant, where there is a greater chance that they will be provided satvik cuisine.
When LJP (RAM VILAS) opposes the order following JD(U), Jitan Ram Manjhi asks, “What is the harm?”
The BJP wanted identical directions in Madhya Pradesh as the dispute intensified, and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind denounced the decision as “discriminatory and communal.” However, federal minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha stated he saw “nothing wrong” with the directive, in contrast to NDA allies JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas), who vehemently condemned it. Union Minister Chirag Paswan and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have both expressed disapproval of the orders given in Uttarakhand and UP.
Manjhi stated in Patna, “What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and addresses prominently?” Customers will really find it easier to identify their favorite booth with such a display. It is incorrect to interpret the incident using a religious lens, he continued.
Maulana Arshad Madani, the head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, stated that the directive was part of a “new game of politics under the guise of religion.” “This decision is blatantly discriminatory and communal, and it will provide an opening for anti-national elements to profit,” stated Madani.
He claimed that because of this new edict, which breaches citizens’ fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, there is considerable concern for the harm this will do to communal cohesion. He said that Jamiat has scheduled a legal team meeting for this Sunday, July 21, to address the legal ramifications of this “unconstitutional and illegal” decree.
Although the Kanwar yatra has been going on for years, this is the first time that a citizen has been made to declare his religious identification. Instead, it is evident that Muslims have been providing water and langar for the Kanwar pilgrims during the yatra,” he stated.
Ramesh Mendola, a BJP MLA from Madhya Pradesh, urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in a letter to mandate that all retailers in the state post their names outside of their establishments. Every person’s identity is contained in his name. Someone takes pride in their name. The consumer has the right to ask for the shopkeeper’s name, and he should be proud, not embarrassed, to answer it, the man stated.
The four-time member of parliament from the Indore-2 assembly seat stated that all traders, regardless of size, entrepreneurs, and store owners in the state should take satisfaction in mentioning their names. “I’ve sent a letter to the chief minister asking him to sign an order requiring retailers in Madhya Pradesh to put their own name in front of every store. The lawmaker urged the government to create regulations in this area.
“MUSLIMS FIRST, DALITS SECOND”
The UP government expanded the order throughout the state on July 19, a few days after the police in Muzaffarnagar ordered all restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route to publish the names of their proprietors. Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, stated that his state already had comparable directives.
Kapil Sibal, a Rajya Sabha member, questioned whether this would result in a “Viksit Bharat.” “The Kanwar Yatra Path.” UP orders restaurants, even roadside carts, to post the names of their proprietors! Is this the path leading to “Viksit Bharat”? In an X post, he declared, “Divisive agendas will only divide the country.”
The former Congress politician stated at a news conference that the politics surrounding the Kanwar Yatra will not transform India into “Viksit Bharat.” “Political matters that spark controversy shouldn’t be brought up by the prime minister, home minister, or chief ministers. The average person is unaffected by these problems. The dispute will get more heated, and traders will lose money. These problems will eventually be
“I specifically want the chief ministers of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to rescind this order. The Kanwar Yatra should go on as it is; similar protests have never occurred during previous yantras. He continued, “Those who are on the Yatra are well-versed in where to eat and where not to.”
Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the PDP, also denounced the directive, claiming that although the BJP is currently attacking Muslims, soon it will be Dalits’ turn, with the saffron party trampling on their rights as well. “When Rahul Gandhi predicted that the BJP would undermine the Constitution if they were to win more than 400 seats, he was correct. They moved from 350 seats to 240, yet they haven’t learned their lesson. Instead, they
“They (the BJP) want to create a different system and what they did in UP is against the Constitution of this country. First, they want to trample on the rights of Muslims. Next, it will be the turn of Dalits and then backward and other castes,” she continued.
According to Congress, the directive’s goal was to make the Muslim economic boycott more commonplace. Senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described the directive as “an attack on the Constitution,” while the organization’s spokesperson Pawan Khera referred to it as “state-sponsored bigotry.”
Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the Samajwadi Party, and Mayawati, the president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), both criticized the advice. Yadav called it a “social crime” and asked the courts to investigate the issue on their own.
