Owaisi takes on UP govt over nameplate row, says 'shopkeepers being forced to remove pants...'

PTC Web Desk: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh Government for allegedly harassing shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route in Muzaffarnagar. Referring to last year’s state directive that required shop owners to display their names and contact numbers, Owaisi accused the authorities of overreach and religious discrimination.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Owaisi questioned why the Yogi Adityanath-led government was not following the Supreme Court’s 2023 interim order, which had put a hold on the directive. The order had asked eateries along the Kanwar Yatra path to only mention the type of food served, rather than personal details like the owner's name.

"Hotels near Muzaffarnagar bypass have been operating for years. Kanwar Yatra used to happen peacefully. Why is all this happening now?" Owaisi asked. He claimed that the authorities are now demanding Aadhaar cards from hoteliers and forcing some shopkeepers to "remove their pants," calling the actions humiliating and illegal.

He went on to say, "Police should arrest those harassing shopkeepers. How can anyone enter a hotel and ask about someone's religion? Why is the government silent?"

The Kanwar Yatra, scheduled from July 11 to July 23 this year, is a major annual pilgrimage where Lord Shiva devotees walk barefoot carrying holy Ganga water to offer at temples during the month of Shravan.

Owaisi also reminded that on July 22 last year, the Supreme Court had stayed the Uttar Pradesh Government’s earlier directive. During the court hearing, senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi had criticised the rule, calling it a “camouflage order” that lacked legal authority. He argued that the order could cause serious economic harm to thousands of small vendors, such as tea stall and fruit shop owners, especially across long stretches of the pilgrimage route.

Despite the Supreme Court's intervention, the UP Government had extended the rule statewide, with Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh adopting similar measures. The move sparked strong reactions not only from opposition parties but also from NDA allies like Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Lok Dal.