Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti will hear the case brought by the Association of Protection of Civil Rights and Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra.
NEW DELHI: Today (22nd July): The Supreme Court is set to hear multiple petitions on Monday challenging the Uttar Pradesh government order requiring shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names.
Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti will hear the case brought by the Association of Protection of Civil Rights and Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra.
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Last week, the Muzaffarnagar Police directed all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names.
On Friday, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government implemented the order statewide, following the Muzaffarnagar police directive for all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names.
Moitra’s petition argues that the directive violates several constitutional rights. The petition states that the directives, purportedly aimed at respecting pilgrims’ dietary preferences and maintaining law and order, are arbitrary, lack a determining principle, and unfairly place the burden of maintaining law and order on vulnerable and marginalized groups.
Violations of these rules will result in fines of up to Rs. 5,000. The MP police clarified that the order aims to enhance safety and transparency, not to discriminate.
Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand and former Amnesty India head Aakar Patel have also filed petitions against the UP and Uttarakhand governments. The pleas argue that the advisory is an overreach of state authority and lacks legal backing.
The move has faced backlash from the opposition and some NDA allies. Critics argue that the order is “communal and divisive,“ targeting Muslims and Scheduled Castes by forcing them to reveal their identities. The BJP claims the order is necessary for law and order and respecting pilgrims’ religious sentiments.
As the budget session of Parliament begins today, the issue is expected to be raised in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Opposition parties, including the Congress, DMK, SP, and AAP, have criticized the order and demanded a parliamentary discussion. BJP allies JDU and RLD have also called for the withdrawal of the controversial order.
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