Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MP Jayant Chaudhary criticized the decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to make display of nameplates mandatory for food stalls along the Kanwar route in the state.

Expressing concern over the diktat from the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, Chaudhary said this could affect community harmony and the mutual goodwill the people of the state have for each other.”It doesn’t appear to be a well-thought-out and well-reasoned decision. Any decision shouldn’t cause harm to the sense of well-being of the community and harmony in the community,” he stated.

He emphasised the long-standing tradition of inclusivity and mutual service during the Kanwar Yatra, a Hindu pilgrimage dedicated to Lord Shiva.”All those who go on Kanwar yatra and the people who serve them are the same. This tradition has been there from the start, and no one saw who was serving them,” he added, highlighting the historical context of the pilgrimage where distinctions between servers and pilgrims were never a concern.

Chaudhary expressed his strong disapproval of the initiative to identify and single out individuals based on the nameplates.

“This thing of identifying people and pointing them out, I couldn’t get that,” he said, questioning the rationale behind such a measure.

He also distanced himself from the political implications of the issue, stating, “What the Opposition is saying, I have nothing to do with that.”

The decision sparked massive outrage and criticism, with the Opposition Congress asking whether it was a step towards economic boycott of Muslims.

“It will be mandatory for fruit and vegetable vendors, restaurant and dhaba owners on the route of Kanwar yatra to write their names on the board. Whether this is a step towards economic boycott of Muslims or Dalits, or both, we do not know. Those who wanted to decide who eats what, will now also decide who buys what from whom,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said.

Terming the move a “social crime”, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the courts should take a suo- motto cognisance of the matter.

“What will be known from the name of the person whose name is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fateh? The honourable court should take suo-motto cognizance and investigate the intention of the government behind such administration, and take appropriate punitive action. Such orders are social crimes that want to spoil the peaceful environment of harmony,” he added.