As Islamists were riled up over the Muzaffarnagar administration’s order to vendors on the Kanwar Yatra route to declare names, the Uttar Pradesh State Government announced its decision to implement this order across the state. Adding to their agony, the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government has also announced that action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products.
CM Yogi Adityanath reviewed preparations for the Kanwar Yatra on Thursday, which begins on 22nd July, providing guidelines for water, power, urban development, and energy ministers to ensure peace and security during the event. He also issued directives for the Kanwar Yatra, Sawan Mela, and other festivals in the upcoming Shravan month, leading the Urban Development Department to release instructions aimed at enhancing cleanliness, lighting, and drinking water arrangements.
As directed by #UPCM @myogiadityanath , new guidelines have been issued to ensure smooth movement during the Kanwar Yatra. Local bodies will focus on cleanliness, hygiene, proper lighting, and drinking water arrangements.#NayeBharatKaNayaUP pic.twitter.com/P0YOjEpdWl
— CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) July 19, 2024
Amusingly, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had on 18th July expressed joy over the Muzaffarnagar administration reportedly modifying its order from compulsory to voluntary, just hours later the BJP government announced the strict implementation of the order across the state. To much disappointment of Akhilesh Yadav, whose politics largely revolves around Muslim appeasement, the Yogi government also imposed restrictions on the sale of Halal-certified food items.
As OpIndia reported earlier, several Islamists and their sympathizers in politics, media, and social media had strongly opposed the Muzaffarnagar administration’s order to display the names of their owners and employees. They called it discriminatory and alleged that the administration is doing communal profiling of Muslims. This came even though this order applied to all shops and vendors on the Kanwar Yatra route and not just Muslims. However, in the “Udta teer” scenario the Muslim ‘journalists’, and politicians like AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi made it an issue of religious discrimination.
Owaisi condemned the order, likening it to apartheid and Nazi-era practices, and challenged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order if he has the “courage.”
The Congress party went on to drag Dalits into the issue and its leader Pawan Khera insinuated that the order was meant to single out Muslims and Dalits.
▪️कांवड़ यात्रा के रूट पर फल सब्ज़ी विक्रेताओं व रेस्टोरेंट ढाबा मालिकों को बोर्ड पर अपना नाम लिखना आवश्यक होगा।
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) July 18, 2024
▪️यह मुसलमानों के आर्थिक बॉयकॉट की दिशा में उठाया कदम है या दलितों के आर्थिक बॉयकॉट का, या दोनों का, हमें नहीं मालूम।
▪️जो लोग यह तय करना चाहते थे कि कौन क्या खाएगा,… pic.twitter.com/pMQYQ0X7VP
The Congress party which has since the past few months developed a pathological fixation with caste, misses no opportunity to play its divisive caste politics. However, in this case, the Congress party forgot that even Dalits in large numbers participate in Kanwar Yatra. It is a widely known fact that in Kanwar Yatra there are more Dalits and OBCs than any other caste. In fact, Kanwar Yatra is one of those traditions that demolish the narrative of institutional oppression within Hindu Dharma peddled by liberals and the Hindu-hating AntiCaste acivitists.
The anti-BJP and anti-Hindu ecosystem had thought that heavy backlash from their end would deter the Muzaffarnagar administration and compel them to roll back their order. However, despite vehement opposition, CM Yogi remained steadfast, emphasizing the need for clear identification to prevent misrepresentation and maintain public safety, demonstrating his commitment to ensuring the purity of the faith of Kanwariyas despite protests.
Interestingly, what began as a district-level directive snowballed into a state-level order and has also transcended the state’s periphery as BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has also ordered that the restaurant/eatery owners display names on the Kanwar Yatra route.
Haridwar Police Administration issued an order to restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route. Informing about the order Haridwar SSP Padmendra Dobal said, “Regarding the preparations for Kanwar, we have given general instructions to the hotels, dhabas, restaurants and hawkers on the Kanwar route that they will write the name of the owner on their shops and if they fail to do so, we will take legal action against them… Many times, a situation of dispute arises due to this, hence this decision has been taken by us.”
#WATCH Uttarakhand: Haridwar Police Administration issued an order to restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route.
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 19, 2024
Haridwar SSP Padmendra Dobal says, "Regarding the preparations for Kanwar, we have given general instructions to the hotels, dhabas, restaurants… pic.twitter.com/7JOEGotPGj
Measures taken by the UP government to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra
The Kanwar Yatra is a significant Hindu religious pilgrimage, where devotees of Bhagwan Shiv, known as Kanwariyas, collect holy water from the Ganga River and carry it to Shiva temples. This year, the route for the Kanwar Yatra has been carefully planned and regulated. Starting from July 22, the pilgrimage will see participants traveling mainly from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other northern states. The primary route from Delhi follows NH-58 to Rishikesh, with significant stops including Haridwar and Neelkanth Temple.
Notably, the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh has laid out specific guidelines to ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the yatra. These include prohibitions on carrying weapons, monitoring the use of tricolor flags, regulating DJ sound levels, and setting height limits for Kanwar structures to avoid accidents. Additionally, liquor and meat shops along the route will remain closed during the yatra. Security measures involve extensive use of CCTV and drones, the establishment of rest camps, and the deployment of bomb disposal squads and intelligence teams.
CM Yogi Adityanath has demonstrated strong leadership and firm commitment by implementing the order for shop owners and eateries to declare their names during the Kanwar Yatra. This measure aims to ensure transparency and respect for the dietary preferences of Kanwariyas, a key aspect of their pilgrimage. Despite facing significant outrage from Islamists and liberals, CM Yogi Adityanath remained steadfast, extending the directive across Uttar Pradesh. His decisive action underscores his dedication to safeguarding the religious practices and sentiments of the Hindus.
Moreover, the UP government’s decision to ban the sale of halal-certified food items on the Kanwar Yatra route is a significant move to respect and protect the religious sentiments of Kanwariyas, who follow strict dietary rules. This ensures that their spiritual journey remains uncontaminated by practices they may deem religiously inappropriate. The outrage from Islamists over this decision is pointless as it is not a matter of religious discrimination but one of ensuring religious accommodation and respect for the beliefs of Kanwariyas who follow the Saatvic diet.
OpIndia has discussed how there have been several incidents wherein Muslims were found to be running shops with the names of Hindu deities giving an impression that the shop is owned and run by Hindus, however, upon paying via UPI which displays the real name of the user, it turned out that the shop belonged to Muslim person. Also, it has been reported that several Muslim -owned shops and Dhabas were named after Hindu goddess Vaishnodevi. While the dhabas are named after Hindu deities. Yogi government’s decision reflects their commitment to ensuring that Kanwariyas undertake their journey in an environment conducive to their religious beliefs. Islamists and their cheerleaders can thus, keep crying and wait for visuals of the administration showering flower petals on Kanwariyas as they embark on their Yatra.
