Top court put interim stay on directions issued by BJP, UP, and Uttarakhand

Ban on issued order: Hours after the Supreme Court granted an interim stay on the order asking restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said “victory of harmony” should now be written on a new plate. Top court orders interim stay on directions issued by BJP, UP, and Uttarakhand The Supreme Court ordered an interim stay on directions issued by BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking restaurants on the Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names and other details of their owners, employees, calling it, according to the Opposition, a measure aimed at promoting religion and discrimination. However, issuing notice to the governments of UP, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, where the Ujjain civic body has issued a similar direction, a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti said restaurants can be required to display the type of food served by them, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

In a post in Hindi on Twitter, the SP chief said: “On the new nameplate, it should be written: ‘Sauhardameva Jayate’ (Harmony wins).”

The apex court issued notices to the governments of UP, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh seeking their response on the petitions questioning the directions.

The state governments have not come forward in the matter.

The high court order comes amid a growing controversy over the directions, with even BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) joining the chorus for its withdrawal and opposition parties deciding to raise the issue in Parliament. The opposition has alleged that the orders were “communal”. The move was called “violent and divisive” and was aimed at targeting Muslims and Scheduled Castes by forcing them to reveal their identity, but the BJP said the move was taken keeping in mind law and order issues and religious sentiments of the pilgrims. The apex court was hearing multiple petitions, including those filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, academic Apoorvanand Jha and columnist Aakar Patel and NGO Protection of Civil Rights Association, challenging the directions.