Owaisi Criticizes UP Government Over Allegations of Forced Name Plates and Harassment of Shopkeepers on Kanwar Yatra Route. Also Accuses of Disregarding Supreme Court Orders.
UP News: Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has leveled serious allegations against the Uttar Pradesh government. He stated that shopkeepers on the Kanwar Yatra route in Muzaffarnagar are being treated unfairly and that the administration's role is under scrutiny.
Violation of Supreme Court Orders
Owaisi claimed that the guidelines implemented by the Uttar Pradesh government are against the Supreme Court's order, which had last year stayed the order to display the owner's name and mobile number outside shops on the Kanwar Yatra route. He said that this year, the same order is being implemented again through the local administration, which is a direct violation of the court's instructions.
Forced Board Installation and Demand for Aadhaar Cards from Shopkeepers
Owaisi said that in Muzaffarnagar, shopkeepers on the Kanwar Yatra route are being forced to install name plates and are being asked to show their Aadhaar cards. He alleged that some shopkeepers were even asked to remove their pants, which is not only unconstitutional but also insulting.
He questioned, "Does the government now have the right to decide which person of which religion has the right to run a shop? This is not only a violation of constitutional rights but also a symbol of religious discrimination."
Questions on the Role of Police and Administration
Owaisi also bly questioned the role of the administration and the police. He said that the job of the police is to maintain security, not to harass shopkeepers. He said that the administration itself is making a spectacle of the entire matter and ignoring the orders of the Supreme Court.
He stated, "The government should punish the culprits, but here the administration itself is violating the rules. Deciding who is in which hotel or shop and from which religion is completely unconstitutional."
Government's Stance: Name Plates Necessary
According to the instructions issued by the government, it has been made mandatory to install name plates on hotels, dhabas, and shops on the Kanwar Yatra route. The purpose of this is to inform the Shiva devotees, the Kanwarias, that they know who owns the place where they are eating or resting.
This rule has been implemented on hotels and dhabas located on the Delhi-Dehradun Highway-58 of Muzaffarnagar. The district administration says that this step has been taken only for the purpose of security and transparency, not to target any particular section.
