Kanwar Yatra 2024: The Supreme Court has stayed the directives issued by both the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments making it mandatory for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the name of their owners. A Bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti passed an interim order to that effect while issuing notices on a series of petitions challenging these government directives.
Supreme Court Issues Interim Stay on Eateries’ Nameplate Directive
The petitioners had argued that the directions were tantamount to religious discrimination and that no jurisdiction vested with the governments to such mandates. The interim order by the court in this case permits eateries to display what type of food is being served but suspends the requirement for owner nameplates.
It is an annual Hindu pilgrimage whereby the devotees, popularly called Kanwarias or “Bhole”, go to places considered shrines, ranging from Haridwar, Gaumukh, Gangotri, Ajgaibinath, etc., to fetch holy water from the Ganges River. The Senior Superintendent of Police in Muzaffarnagar had issued a directive on July 18, 2024, whereby eateries along the pilgrimage route display the names of their owners. The same was later expanded to the entire state on 19th July 2024, and is being implemented very vigorously in all districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Court Permits Display of Food Types While Suspending Owner Nameplate Requirement
The legal challenge against this direction has been led by senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Chander Uday Singh, and Huzefa Ahmadi. They have contended that the direction is in violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed both under Articles 14, 15, and 17 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee protection against discrimination, the right to equality, and the right to privacy.
According to petitioners, this requirement exposes shop and eatery owners to possible risks and unwarranted scrutiny. There are two other such prominent petitions against the directive by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, political commentator Apoorvanand Jha, and columnist Aakar Patel. The aforesaid directives amount to excessive intervention by the State, infringing upon privacy and leaving people open to harm, state the petitioners.
