Opposition leaders were up in arms over a directive by Muzaffarnagar police asking all the roadside eateries on the Kanwar yatra route to write the names of the shop owners in front of their outlets.

The decision had drawn severe criticism from opposition parties as they saw the move aimed at the minority community. SP President Akhilesh Yadav has termed the order issued by Muzaffarnagar Police a social crime.

Posting his comment on social media site X on Thursday, he said that the court should take suo motu cognizance of such cases and conduct an investigation and take punitive action.

All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops,”Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Singh had said on Monday.

SP chief Yadav said that such orders would spoil the peaceful atmosphere and the harmony.

” What will be known from the name of the one whose name is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? The Honorable Court should take suo motu cognizance and investigate the intentions of the administration behind such orders and take appropriate punitive action. Such orders are social crimes, which seek to disturb the peaceful environment,” the SP President said.

Kanwar Yatra will start from next week from July 22 and the administration has made special preparations for it.

Slamming the move, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi wrote in a post on social media on Wednesday,” According to the order of Uttar Pradesh Police, now the owner of every food shop or cart will have to put his name on the board so that no Kanwariya buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. It was called Apartheid in South Africa and ‘Juden boycott’ in Hitler’s Germany.”

SSP Muzaffarnagar Abhishek Singh said on Tuesday that preparations for Kanwar Yatra have started. He said the total length of the routes taken by Kanwadis in the district is about 240 kilometers. The names of owners or employees must be displayed at all eateries located on these routes. The SSP said orders were issued for hotels, dhabas or carts from where Kanwariyas buy food items.