The Supreme Court on Monday put an interim stay on the enforcement of the order passed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments requiring eatery owners along the path of Kanwar Yatra to disclose the names of owners and the staff employed by them.
The apex court said that the food sellers must not be forced to serve names of owners, or staff employed. It posted the matter for hearing on July 26.
The court was hearing challenges to the directive from NGOs like the Association of Protection of Civil Rights and TMC MP Mahua Moitra, among others.
Moitra’s plea called for a halt on these orders, arguing that they escalate tensions between communities.
The petitioners’ counsel told the court that the directives are troubling, as they create divisions by identifying minorities and subjecting them to economic boycott.
Senior advocate CU Singh, representing a petitioner, argued that many affected people were poor vegetable and tea stall owners who faced severe economic hardship due to these directives. He also said that there might be instances of bulldozer actions against those who fail to comply.
The Supreme Court questioned whether Kanwariyas expected food to be prepared by owners of a specific category. “We deem it appropriate to pass an interim order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives. In other words, food sellers may be required to display kind of food but must not be forced to display names of owners, staff employed,” the bench said.
Muzaffarnagar police had issued an order mandating it for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names. Later, the Uttar Pradesh government extended the order statewide on Friday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Uttarakhand also issued similar directives. Besides them, the BJP-led Ujjain Municipal Corporation had instructed shop owners in the historic city to display their names and mobile numbers outside their establishments.
Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday that violators would face a fine of ₹2,000 for the first offence and ₹5,000 for subsequent violations. The mayor said the order was intended to ensure safety and transparency, not to target Muslim shopkeepers.
However, the Madhya Pradesh government clarified that it had not issued any instructions requiring shop owners to display their names along the Kanwar Yatra route in the state, and there was no such compulsion.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Jugal Kishore said:” It is just an interim order. The government will present its viewpoint in court.”
No one appeared for the state governments in the matter at this hearing.
TMC MP Moitra lauded apex court decision. “Long live our Constitution. And may we always protect it,” she said in an X post.
