Indian Supreme Court Halts Uttar Pradesh Government’s Directive on Shop Displays During Kanwar Yatra

New Delhi: The Indian Supreme Court on Monday issued an interim stay on a directive from the Uttar Pradesh government that required shopkeepers and eatery owners to display their names and other details during the Kanwar Yatra. The court’s decision prevents the enforcement of this requirement, which had drawn criticism for potentially discriminating based on religion.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the Supreme Court, in its interim order, specified that Uttar Pradesh police cannot force shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names outside their establishments. The court limited the requirement to the display of food items only. This decision came as a response to multiple petitions, including one by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, challenging the state’s directive on grounds that it violates constitutional provisions and undermines secular values.

The bench, consisting of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatt, has also issued notices to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. These notices call for responses to the allegations made in the petitions regarding the directive issued on July 20, which had been sharply criticized by opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh for its potential religious discrimination.

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