Muzaffarnagar (UP): BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary Sunday demanded the Uttar Pradesh government roll back its order that eateries along the Kanwar route must display the names of their owners.
He said kanwariyas ask no-one their religion when they seek any service from them, neither should the matter (serving the kanwariyas) be linked to any religion.
Days after the Muzaffarnagar Police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names, the Uttar Pradesh government Friday extended the controversial order across the state.
The order has been slammed by opposition parties and members of the ruling alliance, who say it targets Muslim traders.
“It seems that the order was taken without much thought and the government is adamant on it because the decision has been taken,” Rajya Sabha member Chaudhary told reporters here.
“There is still time. It (roll back) should happen or the government should not put much emphasis on (implementing) it,” he said.
The leader of the party, which is in alliance with the BJP, also wondered if one should wear a name tag on one’s clothes to identify one’s religion.
“Where all one would be made to place these identifiers! Should we now wear name tags too? So that one knows who to shake hands with?” he said.
In an all-party meeting Sunday, opposition parties made all but certain that the matter will reach Parliament when the session begins from Monday.
Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav alleged that the move is clearly targeted at Muslims and accused the ruling BJP in the state of pursuing communally divisive politics.
Congress leader K Suresh said Gaurav Gogoi criticised the decision at the all-party meeting, as did the Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh.
PTI
