SC halts mandate for shop owners to display names during Kanwar Yatra

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the orders issued by various State authorities requiring shop owners and hawkers to display their names outside their premises during the Kanwar Yatra season.

The Bench was reviewing a series of petitions challenging the recent directive by the Uttar Pradesh Police in Muzaffarnagar, which mandated that shop owners display their names outside their establishments during the Kanwar Yatra season.

On July 19, the Uttar Pradesh government made it compulsory for food and beverage shops along Kanwar Yatra routes to display the name and identity of their operators/owners.

The UP government argued that this measure was necessary for maintaining law and order. The Court was also informed that similar directives had been issued in other states.

Critics argue that this decision was intended to reveal the religious identities of shop owners, which they claim is discriminatory against Muslim shop owners.

The Association for Protection of Civil Rights, Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand, activist Aakar Patel, and Member of Parliament (MP) Mahua Moitra approached the Supreme Court to contest the directive issued by the Uttar Pradesh Police.