In a recent development, the Supreme Court has temporarily halted the Uttar Pradesh government’s directive to display nameplates during the Kanwar Yatra, a decision that had also prompted requests for responses from the governments of Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.
The Uttar Pradesh government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court challenging the petitions that opposed this directive. The government justified the instruction by stating its aim to ensure a peaceful completion of the Kanwar Yatra and to maintain transparency during the event.
Government’s Explanation
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, the directive was solely intended to respect the religious sentiments of the pilgrims regarding the food consumed during the journey, ensuring that no individual’s faith was inadvertently offended. The government emphasized that the directive was not intended to create a divisive atmosphere but was a proactive measure to avoid disputes that have arisen in the past, thus facilitating a peaceful pilgrimage.
The Supreme Court received a petition in favor of the nameplate directive, with the petitioner arguing that undue communal colors were being ascribed to the case. They have also requested to be made a party to the matter.
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Interim Stay and Opposition Claims
The apex court had issued notices to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, imposing an interim stay on the order. The opposition has criticized the directive as “communal and divisive,” alleging that it aims to target Muslims and Scheduled Castes by forcing them to declare their identities. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserts that the measure was taken considering law and order and the religious sentiments of the pilgrims.
