E-Paper
Kanwar Yatra eateries row: Supreme Court extends interim order, says 'can't force anyone'
The Supreme Court has given Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh additional time to file their responses and scheduled the next hearing in two weeks.
The Supreme Court on Friday extended its interim order staying the directives from the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh governments requiring eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names and identities of owners and staff.
A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti said it won’t issue any clarification on the July 22 order as “we have said what needed to be said in our July 22 order. Can't force anyone to disclose names”.
ALSO READ- Kanwar Yatra: Unaware of SC stay, eatery owners rush to display names
The court has given Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh additional time to file their responses and scheduled the next hearing in two weeks. The UP government defended its directive in an affidavit filed with the court earlier on Friday.
The Supreme Court also rejected an intervention by Kanwar pilgrims who supported the state directives, arguing that it would violate their fundamental rights to religious customs and practices.
The Uttar Pradesh government has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court defending its directive requiring the display of shop owners' names along the Kanwar Yatra route. The government contends that the directive is intended to ensure a peaceful Yatra and enhance transparency, following the Supreme Court's interim stay.
In its reply, the Yogi Adityanath government explained that the directive aims to provide transparency and allow Kanwariyas to make informed choices about the food they consume during the Yatra, while respecting their religious beliefs to prevent any inadvertent conflicts.
ALSO READ- Pakistani journalist rakes up Kanwar Yatra order, US says ‘not actually in effect’
On Monday, the Supreme Court stopped the enforcement of disputed directives from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which mandated that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route display details about their owners and staff. The court also issued notices to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, where a similar order was implemented in Ujjain.
