After UP, Now Haridwar Admin Orders Eateries On Kanwar Route To Display Name Of Owners

Bhubaneswar: Close on the heels of Uttar Pradesh government, Haridwar Police on Friday issued a ‘controversial’ directive for all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra asking them to display the names of their owners.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Haridwar, said it was compulsory for all shopkeepers to write their names outside their shops during the Kanwar Yatra, an India Today report stated.

The order asked all hotel and ‘dhaba’ owners to display their names, QR code, and mobile numbers outside their outlets. It also cautioned that action would be taken against the violators and their outlets would also be removed. The order was reportedly passed by SSP Pramod Singh Dobal

“We have given general instructions to the hotels, dhabas, restaurants and hawkers on the Kanwar route that they will write the name of the owner on their shops and if they fail to do so, we will take legal action against them…many times a situation of dispute arises due to this, hence the decision has been taken by us,”Dobal told ANI.

Earlier, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to mention the names of their owners outside their outlets. The move came a day after UP Police in Muzaffarnagar revoked its previous orders that made it ‘voluntary’ for eateries to display the owners’ names. It had drawn criticism from Opposition parties.

The CM had stated that the decision was taken to preserve the sanctity of devotees taking up the Kanwar Yatra, reports claimed.

Meanwhile, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi criticised such orders.  “These prohibitions that have been imposed are in violation of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas that the PM speaks of….It would be good if the order is reviewed,” he told ANI.