‘I see nothing wrong’: Union minister backs UP govt's controversial order to eateries for Kanwar Yatra

The statement by Jitan Ram Manjhi, an ally of the BJP which governs Uttar Pradesh, comes a day after other allies opposed the directive.

Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, an ally of the BJP, on Saturday asserted that there was ‘nothing wrong’ with the controversial directive issued by the party's government in Uttar Pradesh asking eateries and fruit sellers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners.

Jitan Ram Manjhi (HT File Photo)

Manjhi's support for the order came a day after BJP allies such as the RLD, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) opposed it; opposition parties, too, have criticised the order and demanded that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh withdraw it.

“I cannot speak for other parties, but I see nothing wrong with such an order. What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and display their names and addresses prominently?” the former Bihar chief minister asked media persons in Patna.

Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, further stated that the directive must not be seen from a ‘religious prism.’

“In fact, such a display only makes it easy for buyers to spot a particular stall. It is wrong to view the episode from the prism of religion,” the Lok Sabha member from Gaya, said.

On Saturday, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan came out against the directive, saying that ‘casteism and communalism have harmed the country more than anything else.’

KC Tyagi, a senior spokesperson of the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), remarked that the order went against against the 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' slogan of prime minister Narendra Modi.

The opposition, meanwhile, has accused the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government of trying to ‘push Muslim fruit sellers out of business during the pilgrimage season.’

(With PTI inputs)